Marlins Ride Bolkaâ??s Hot Bat, Jonesâ?? Effective Arm in 9-2 Win
June 11, 2015 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Morehead City Marlins News Release
WILSON, N.C. - Following a rare stretch with two-straight off days, the Marlins came out swinging from the second inning on defeating the Wilson Tobs 9-2 on Thursday night. Luke Bolka (Eastern Carolina) powered the charge finishing the night 2-3 from the plate with 2 RBI's on a monstrous line-drive homerun to left which cleared the scoreboard.
"It felt pretty good," said Bolka, who has now collected home runs in each of his first two games with the Marlins. "(That ball) felt charged."
The Marlins jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the 2nd on a two-run shot from Stephen Wallace (Mt. Olive), which cleared the 40-foot wall in right, his first long ball of the season. After retiring the Marlins with ease in the first frame, Tobs' starter Trent Comier allowed nine hits in just five-plus innings of work, erasing his hot 2-0 start (2.31 ERA) to the Coastal Plain League campaign.
Then, the Marlins came right back with two more in the 3rd inning thanks to an RBI sacrifice fly from Logan Sherer (UNC Charlotte) and a wild sequence that resulted in catcher's interference on a rundown at the plate, allowing Noah Cummings (Oral Roberts) to score on the initial pickoff attempt against Brandon Montgomery (Memphis). As a matter of fact, the sparkplug second baseman collected his third multi-hit game of the season hitting out of the No. 3 spot.
Hayden Jones (Oklahoma) kept the Tobs quiet for most of the night, allowing two runs (0 ER) on five hits in seven solid innings of work. "He just battled," said coach Higginbotham. "When all three pitches work, he cam play and he's good."
In just his second start, Jones worked through some trouble in both the 5th and 6th innings as coach Jason Wood walked to the mound with runners and 1st and 2nd in a four-run game. After a quick conversation, Wood elected to keep Jones on the mound and he responded by retiring the next four batters. "I loved it," Jones said. "It meant that he (really) trusted me." His pitching coach, Danny Higginbotham emphatically added, "there's nothing better."
Keller Bradford (Louisiana Monroe) entered out of the bullpen for the two frames to close things out. Emerging as a solid threat over the last week, the submarine right hander has allowed just one earned run in 6.1 innings of work.
The Marlins scored in four innings, including an explosive three-run final frame. Alex Kowalczyk (Pittsburgh) broke the game open, 9-2, with a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to right field.
Offense was the story on Thursday night as the Marlins scored a season-high nine runs while pounding out 13 hits in the game. "It was great to see our offense really ignite because that's what were capable of," Higginbotham added.
The Marlins return home to Big Rock Stadium for back-to-back home games this weekend beginning Friday night against the Wilmington Sharks. Friday's matchup is Little League Night at Puck O'Neal Field as kids and coaches wearing their little league jerseys will get into the ballpark for free.
Coastal Plain League Stories from June 11, 2015
- Marlins Ride Bolkaâ??s Hot Bat, Jonesâ?? Effective Arm in 9-2 Win - Morehead City Marlins
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