Compiled by Craig Potter
Today’s SportsROC Report includes stories on the Rochester Red Wings loss to Buffalo, 2 WNY Flash players named to National teams, and the Rochester Rhinos prep for a rare home game on Wednesday night.
The Rochester Red Wings were dominated by the Buffalo Bisons, 8-1, on Tuesday night before 5,657 fans at Frontier Field.
The Red Wings missed several opportunities to take the lead. James Beresford singled and Logan Schafer walked to lead off the bottom of the first, but were left stranded.
Darin Mastroianni singled and Wilfredo Tovar was safe on a fielder’s choice in the second with one out, but Buffalo pitcher Casey Lawrence, who entered the game with a 9.24 ERA, got a double play ball to escape unscathed.
The Bisons converted 3 hits and 4 walks into 4 runs in the third, and tacked on 2 more runs in the sixth.
The Wings finally got on the scoreboard in the home half. With one out, Adam Brett Walker singled and Buck Britton drove him home with a double.
Buffalo scored twice more in the eighth to secure the win.
In the bottom of the frame, Mastroianni and Tommy Field both single before John Ryan Murphy laced a ground rule double down the right field line that scored Mastroianni with Rochester’s final run.
Rochester travels to Pennsylvania for the next 5 games prior to the all-star break next week. The Red Wings will visit Lehigh Valley IronPigs for games Wednesday and Thursday, then journey north on the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike to take on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The Wings (50-37) trail North Division leader SWB (53-33) by 3.5 games, and lead third-place Lehigh Valley (49-37) by a half game.
*NOTES — The Red Wings string of 57 consecutive games with the starting pitcher going at least 5 innings ended tonight when starter Andrew Albers went 2 innings plus 6 batters in the third…More moves were made by the Minnesota Twins – LHP Buddy Boshers was optioned to Rochester; RHP Trevor May ended MLB rehab assignment and was recalled by the Twins; and OF Darin Mastroianni ended his MLB rehab assignment and was outrighted to Rochester (dated 7/4).
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Western New York Flash midfielder Abby Erceg has been named to New Zealand’s 18-player roster for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. In addition, Flash defender Alanna Kennedy was recently named to the Australian 18-player roster for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Erceg, 26, will be competing in her third Olympic Games for New Zealand. The native of Whangarei is the captain of the Football Ferns and has made 116 appearances in a New Zealand jersey since 2006. Erceg was traded to the Flash this past offseason and has made 10 appearances for the Flash in 2016.
Kennedy, 21, will be competing in her first Olympic Games for Australia. The native of Campbelltown has appeared in 43 matches for the Matildas since 2012. Kennedy signed with the Flash in early 2016 and has played in all but seven minutes of the team’s first ten matches.
Australia will enter the Olympics as the number 5 ranked team in the world, while New Zealand enters at number 17 in the world rankings.
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After the holiday weekend away, the Rochester Rhinos return home to host 2 games this week. The first comes on Wednesday against FC Cincinnati at 7 p.m. at Rochester Rhinos Stadium. This is the Rhinos first regular season midweek match of 2016. It is also the first time the two teams will meet in their history.
The match will be a challenge for the Rhinos who after winning one at home on June 18 against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, went on the road last weekend to draw against the New York Red Bulls 2. Rochester’s current record is 6-4-4 on the season. The Rhinos are 4-1-2 at home on their new turf.