Mistakes Doom Owls at Thomasville
June 10, 2011 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Forest City Owls News Release
THOMASVILLE, N.C. - The Forest City Owls fell to the Thomasville Hi-Toms, 4-3, Friday night at Historic Finch Field. The Owls drop to 6-5, while the Hi-Toms improve to 4-5. Thomasville leads the season series, 2-1. Costly mistakes sank the Owls, as they committed three errors for the fifth game this season.
Both teams enjoyed tremendous performances from their starting pitchers. Forest City called on left-hander Nick Lomascolo for his second start of the season. Lomascolo threw 8 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on five hits, striking out seven batters and walking two. Brian Holmes took the mound for the Hi-Toms, hurling six shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out seven batters while walking four. Thomasville reliever Travis Tingle earned the win, while Lomascolo took his first loss of the season.
The Owls had a golden opportunity to jump in front in the top of the first inning. After Holmes walked the bases loaded with only one out, SS Reed Harper and DH Jake Watson struck out in order, leaving all three baserunners stranded.
The Hi-Toms drew first blood in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded and one out, 2B Tyler Hall trickled a groundball to the right side. Owls 1B Dusty Quattlebaum fielded and stepped on first as SS Stephen Carmon raced across home plate, giving Thomasville a 1-0 advantage.
Thomasville added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. After Hall reached second after Owls CF Michael Bishop dropped a pop-up in shallow center, Patrick Koontz rocketed a two-run home run over the center field wall. The Hi-Toms led 3-0 after four frames.
The Owls struck back in the top of the eighth inning. Following RF Axel Johnson's two-out single, Harper blasted a home run off the hand-operated scoreboard behind the left-center fence. Harper, in only his second game this season, brought Forest City within one run of the Hi-Toms. The Owls had a chance to tie or take the lead after Watson doubled, but Bishop was retired on a spectacular play by Hi-Toms SS Stephen Carmon. The Hi-Toms cradled a 3-2 lead after eight innings.
Owls catcher P.J. Torres, making his Forest City debut, led off the ninth by crushing a double off the right field wall, then advanced to third on 3B Jordan Betts' sacrifice bunt. With two outs, LF Konstantine Diamaduros ripped a double down the left field line, plating Torres and tying the game at 3-3.
The ninth inning began smoothly for Nick Lomascolo. He retired two of the first three batters, with only pinch hitter Kevin Sanders reaching base on a fielder's choice. However, things began to unravel when Harper dropped a routine pop-up that would've been out number three. The error allowed Sanders to advance to third. Two at-bats later, with catcher Jacob Fisher at the plate, Lomascolo threw a wild pitch, bringing the winning run home.
For the Owls, Johnson went 2-for-3, scoring a run. Harper went 1-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. Diamaduros went 1-for-5 with an RBI. For Thomasville, Koontz went 1-for-4 with a homer, a run scored and two RBIs.
The Owls and the Hi-Toms will do battle once again tomorrow night at McNair Field. First pitch is set for 7:30 PM.
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Coastal Plain League Stories from June 10, 2011
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- Mistakes Doom Owls at Thomasville - Forest City Owls
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