Wings win opener

The game started late due to wet weather in Richmond during the day, and it was 4:27 PM EDT when Denard Span took a called strike from Buddy Carlyle to officially open the 2008 season. Carlyle got three quick outs, then watched his teammates parlay a walk and two singles into a 1-0 Richmond lead against Rochester starter Glen Perkins.

The Wings quickly came back to tie the score in the top of the second. Jones doubled into the right field corner to open the frame, and moved to third on a ground ball out by Brian Buscher. Randy Ruiz followed with an RBI single to plate Jones and make it a 1-1 game.

Playing through light rain that seemed to affect the pitchers more than the fielders, the Braves regained the lead in the second inning. Perkins hurt his cause with a pair of walks, a throwing error and an balk which brought in Wes Timmons. In the third inning, Jason Pridie led off with a double, moved to third on a passed ball then scored to tie the score again when Carlyle was charged with a balk.

Ruiz put the Wings in front in the fourth, clubbing a double to bring in Jones after Jones walked, then stole second base.

Perkins' day was over after just three innings, after allowing four hits and two runs (one earned), while walking five and striking out four. Casey Daigle (1 2/3 innings) and Mariano Gomez followed Perkins on the mound for the Wings. Gomez struck out Joe Thorman to end the fifth inning, then gave way to Julio DePaula after walking J.C. Holt to start the sixth. Richmond worked an ineffective DePaula and put together a three-run rally, which included DePaula walking one batter, and hitting another. Heath Totten issued a game-tying, bases loaded walk to Brandon Jones; Barbaro Canizares then knocked in a pair with a hit off Totten, putting the R-Braves up 5-3.

Wings reliever Ricky Barrett was sharp, keeping the game close while stifling the Braves over two innings. Barrett (1-0), who allowed one hit and struck out two, got the win for his effort when Rochester made the most of a one-out, eighth inning rally against Damian Moss (0-1). Span started the rally with a single, his second of the day. Alexi Casilla followed with a hit, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Jose Morales drew a walk to load the bases, setting up an RBI single by Jones. Thorman's two-run throwing error on a ball hit by Buscher allowed the Wings to go ahead, and Howie Clark added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly that brought Jones home.

Rochester pieced together four more hits and took advantage of another Richmond error to add a pair in the ninth, highlighted by Jones' third hit and second RBI of the game.

Bobby Korecky, who led the league in saves with 35 while setting a team single season record in 2007, pitched the ninth inning in a non-save situation and faced three batters. Korecky struck out Canizares (three hits, three RBI) and allowed a single to Joe Borchard, then started a game-ending double play on a ball hit by Thorman.