Red Sox Minor Lines: Lowell is going to the ‘ship

Salem L 2-3

Ryan Fitzgerald, SS: 1-4, 1 R

Devlin Granberg, LF: 2-4, 1 RBI

Kole Cottam, C: 0-4, 3 K

Triston Casas, 1B: 0-3

Tyler Esplin, RF: 1-3, 1 R, 1 K

Andrew Politi: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K (84 pitches)

Well, this was a brutal way to lose a baseball game, particularly one in which you had a chance to advance to the championship round with a win. This one was tied a one apiece heading into the eighth when Salem took the lead in the top half of the inning on a wild pitch. That lead held until the ninth when Wilmington hit two straight singles dropped a bunt then scored on a wild pitch of their own to tie the game. Eventually, Brewer Hicklen would drive in the winning run on a walkoff single, forcing a Game Four on Saturday. Salem is still up 2-1 in this best-of-five series.

Lowell W 4-3 (F/10)

Gilberto Jimenez, CF: 1-5, 1 K

Jaxx Groshans, DH: 2-4, 1 BB, 1 R, 2 K

Stephen Scott, LF: 2-5, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 1 K

Joe Davis, 1B: 1-6, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K

Cameron Cannon, 2B: 0-5, 1 K

Nick Decker, RF: 2-3, 2 BB, 1 K

Roldani Baldwin, C: 1-4, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 1 K

Alex Erro, 3B: 2-4, 2 2B, 1 BB, 2 R

Ryan Zeferjahn: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K (45 pitches)

This was a decisive Game Three between Lowell and Batavia, with the winner heading to the championship round of the New York Penn League. It was a hell of a game, with each team scoring in the first. They would remain tied for most of the game, with Lowell tying it for a final time in the sixth on an RBI double from Scott. Eventually, we headed to extras where Erro led off with a double. After a bunt moved him to third, Batavia intentionally walked two batters to load the bases and set up the force play at home. Joe Davis, the walkoff hero on Thursday, did it again, this time getting the run home when Batavia shortstop Dalvy Rosario threw the ball away. The Spinners move on to play the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) in the championship starting Sunday.