Owls Finish Red Wolves in Extras, 5-4

Published on July 10, 2011 under Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Forest City Owls News Release


FOREST CITY, N.C. - The Forest City Owls dropped the Florence Red Wolves, 5-4, in ten innings at McNair Field on Sunday afternoon. The Owls improve to 5-3 in the second half and 21-14 overall, while the Red Wolves fall to 1-5 in the second half and 16-19 overall. Forest City is now 2-2 in extra innings, while Florence's record in extra inning games stands at 4-2.

Forest City starter Ryan Hander (Nebraska) turned in another admirable performance, throwing six innings of two-run ball while allowing seven hits. Hander struck out six batters and did not issue a walk. The going wasn't so smooth for Florence hurler Daniel Palo (Middle Tennessee State), who only lasted three innings after giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits.

Although he allowed his first earned run of the season, Adam Izokovic (Gardner-Webb) took home his first win of the summer, while Florence's Jacob Matthews (Mercer) was saddled with his third loss of the year.

The Owls jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning. After Buddy Sosnoskie (Forest City) led off the proceedings with a single, Konstantine Diamaduros (Wofford) brought him home with a double to left center field. Palo eventually loaded the bases, which allowed Diamaduros to trot home after Danny Canela walked (N.C. State). Diamaduros scored again in the bottom of the third as Jordan Betts (Duke) reached on an error by Florence 2B Blake Barber (Cal State Fullerton). Forest City led 3-0 after three innings.

The Red Wolves returned fire in the middle innings, getting on the board in the top of the fourth inning on Adam Matthews' (South Carolina) solo home run. Florence would inch closer in the top of the sixth inning when Matthews, who doubled earlier in the frame, scored on Shane Basen's (UNC Charlotte) single to right field.

Forest City padded its lead in the seventh inning in zany fashion. Sosnoskie slapped a little roller in front of the plate, leading Florence catcher Josh Miller (USC Aiken) to throw Sosnoskie out at first. As the play was unfolding in front of the plate, Michael Basil (Indiana) was racing around third and heading home. Nobody was covering the plate, allowing Basil to slide home safely. The Owls owned a 4-2 lead heading into the eighth inning. Florence would answer in the top of the eighth, when Tony Micklon (Presbyterian) doubled home Matthews, who had tripled in the previous at-bat.

The score was 4-3 in favor of the Owls when Will Leathers (South Carolina), who had entered the game in the eighth inning as a defensive sub, launched a solo home run over the left field wall in the top of the ninth to tie the game and send in into extra innings.

Matthews joined an exclusive club in the top of the tenth inning. His single to left field completed the cycle, making him the second player in CPL history to hit for the cycle and the first since Peninsula's Ian Church accomplished that feat in 2002.

The Owls caught a break on the first at-bat of the bottom of the tenth inning, when Leathers dropped a pop fly off the bat of Sosnoskie to lead off the frame. Axel Johnson (TCU) bunted Sosnoskie over to second in the next at-bat. Immediately after, Reed Harper (Austin Peay) smoked a base hit into center field, bringing Sosnoskie home and delivering a 5-4 victory to Forest City.

Diamaduros and Sosnoskie each scored a pair of runs for Forest City. Diamaduros' two hits this afternoon leave him just two hits away from tying the all-time CPL hits record of 158, held by former Owl Will Skinner. Matthews went 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored.

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Coastal Plain League Stories from July 10, 2011


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