Holland and Thorne Toss Complete Games as Marlins Split Twin Bill
July 17, 2014 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Morehead City Marlins News Release
WILMINGTON, N.C.- John Holland and Tyler Thorne both tossed complete games in their respective ends of Friday's doubleheader with the Sharks, as the Marlins split the twin bill after taking game one 3-1 and the dropping the nightcap 2-1.
It was a pitchers' night through and through, as just seven combined runs crossed the plate in 14 innings.
Holland threw all seven-inning in the first game, at the time marking the second time this season a Marlins' pitcher has pitched a complete game (Thorne would later throw the third in the second game of the doubleheader). He allowed a run four batters into the game, after Michael Montville singled to score Nate Moorehouse, but that was all.
Holland allowed just three hits in the game from that point on, and retired nine straight between the third and sixth. He went on to retire 13 of his final 14 batters faced.
"We thought we came out a half step behind in the first few innings," said head coach Sam Carel. "But credit Holland for battling through that while we got our legs underneath us."
Holland now has a quality start in each of his first three starts with the Marlins, and in his last two starts has combined to throw 15 innings, allowing just two runs on nine hits while striking out 10 batters. For the season, he now boasts a 2.01 ERA and a .94 WHIP in 22.1 innings pitched.
"The kid is in a groove right now and everything is working for him," said Marlins' pitching coach Aaron Meade. "It's fun to watch him pitch...[His effort] was huge. With a few days off we would have liked to get some guys some work but with a guy throwing like that there is no way you can take him out."
"It's all about the team first," Holland said. "The team has been hot and they have been winning, I just go out there and do my best."
Holland's offense backed him with a two-spot in the fourth inning after entering the frame all locked at one run apiece.
Dalton Britt and Jacob Bruce both reached on singles to start out the fourth, and after a sacrifice bunt from Kyle Carroll, Carmen Benedetti laced a single off the leg of pitcher Joe O'Donnell that trickled into left field to score two runs.
The Marlins' other run in the first game came back in the second inning when Britt singled to right to score Johnny Caputo.
Britt finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run and Benedetti was 1-for-2 with two RBI.
In the second game Tyler Thorne pitched well, but was edged by a strong performance from the Sharks' staff as they held on for a 2-1 victory to split the twin bill.
Matt Simmons, who started the second game for Morehead City as the designated hitter, drove home Blake Graham on a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and that was the only run they would score.
The Sharks touched up Thorne for a run in each the first and third innings. Shawn Sanders reached on a fielders' choice and promptly stole second. Two batters later he was driven in by Montville to give the Sharks a quick 1-0 lead. They extended it to 2-0 in the fourth on an RBI single from Moorehouse, also scoring Sanders.
Thorne allowed multiple base runners in three of the first four innings, but improved as the night went on. He struck out three straight for the final two outs in the fourth and first out in the fifth, and ended up retiring the side in order in that fifth inning. He also had a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth on just three pitches, and ended up setting aside the last eight batters he faced.
"They did not hit [many] balls hard off him," Meade said. "The only thing we talked about was getting in deep counts, getting behind early and in those last couple of innings he started getting ahead."
It was Thorne's second complete game, both of which came in seven-inning games against the Sharks. He finished his night on Friday with six innings pitched and two runs allowed on six hits while striking out five.
The Stanford right-hander was outdueled though by a combination of three Sharks' pitchers - Jon Olczak, Will Shepley and Kyler Stout. They held the Marlins to just three hits - the first time they had only three hits in a game since June 23.
Stout, the Sharks' All-Star closer, locked down the save with a crisp ninth inning with two punchouts.
For Morehead City, Blake Graham doubled in the nightcap after singling in the first game, extending his hit streak to 12 games - the longest hit streak for any Marlins' player this season.
The Marlins have now played the Sharks in five of their last six games, and have won three of those matchups, helping them to a 9-3 record in the second half.
Morehead City will return home on Friday evening to take on the Wilson Tobs. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. from Big Rock Stadium.
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Coastal Plain League Stories from July 17, 2014
- Pitching Excels as Wilmington Splits Double Header with Morehead City - Wilmington Sharks
- Holland and Thorne Toss Complete Games as Marlins Split Twin Bill - Morehead City Marlins
- Columbia Wins in Martinsville 4-2 - Lexington County Blowfish
- SwampDogs Steamed by Edenton, 6-0 - Fayetteville SwampDogs
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