Baltimore Orioles 2013 first-round draft pick Hunter Harvey. Mandatory credit: Joey Gardner, Delmarva Shorebirds
MIDWAY THROUGH THE South Atlantic League All-Star game in Hickory, N.C., Baseball America scribe JJ Cooper tweeted about the number of Hunter Harvey jersey t-shirts in the crowd.
The Delmarva Shorebirds’ ace drew the starting nod for the Northern Division stars and responded with a scoreless inning in what would be a 4-4, 10-inning tie.
It didn’t come easy.
Asheville’s David Dahl led off with a double, then Harvey walked Savannah’s Gavin Cecchini to bring Sand Gnat teammate Jeff McNeil and his .332 batting average to the plate.
McNeil grounded into a force out that moved Dahl to third base, but Harvey defused the threat by retiring Aaron Judge (Charleston) and Ryan McMahon (Asheville). It wasn’t the usual dazzling outing for Harvey, but the grit on display revealed why a hot start to the second half could mean a promotion to Frederick before season’s end.
It was Dahl’s replacement who earned the game’s Most Valuable Player honor. Lexington outfielder Dominique Taylor drilled a two-run single up the middle in the 10th inning to give the Southern Division a brief 4-2 lead.
The Northern Division tied the game in the bottom of the 10th on Samuel Hiciano’s (Lakewood) double and Delmarva infielder Trey Mancini’s two-out RBI single.
Carlos Lopez (Greensboro) and Rafael Bautista each had a pair of hits for the Northern. Taylor also had two hits for the Southern.
Augusta hurler Jake Smith might have had the most impressive outing among the pitchers, retiring the side in six pitches (five strikes).
It marked the second time in five years the game ended in a tie. By a pre-determined rule, the game was limited to 10 innings.