Owls Take Two from Grizzlies
July 28, 2011 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Forest City Owls News Release
FOREST CITY, N.C. - The Forest City Owls won both games of their doubleheader against the Gastonia Grizzlies on Thursday night at McNair Field. Forest City edged Gastonia 4-3 in the first game and blasted their division rival, 16-2, in the second contest. Forest City improves to 13-10 in the second half and 29-21 overall, while Gastonia falls to 12-11 in the second half and 25-25 overall.
Gastonia sparked the scoring in the top of the second inning of Game 1, putting up three runs in that frame and giving starting pitcher Rick Marks (Cornell) a comfortable lead. The Gastonia right-hander mowed to Owls' batters until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Konstantine Diamaduros (Wofford) doubled home Buddy Sosnoskie (Francis Marion) to put the Owls on the board.
Marks continued working into the bottom of the seventh inning before getting into a bit of trouble, prompting Gastonia manager Jason Plourde to call in closer Derek Epps (NW Oklahoma State). Epps would go on to surrender the game-winning run (charged to Marks) when Danny Canela (N.C. State) smacked a hit into the right-center gap, bringing Sosnoskie home and winning the game for Forest City by a score of 4-3.
Ryan Hander (Nebraska) tossed 6 2/3 innings, giving up only one earned run, but it was Ryan Quick (Austin Peay) to took home the victory. Marks was tagged with the loss.
The second game was loaded with wacky moments and controversial calls, the most head-scratching of which occurred in the top of the second inning. With Forest City ahead 1-0, Gastonia's Dylan Nasiatka clobbered a big fly to deep left field. Although the ball seemed to have landed foul, home plate umpire Brad Polk called it a home run, knotting the game up at one.
The controversy seemed to ignite the Owls offense, which had been decidedly dormant over the past few games. Forest City went on to score fifteen more runs after that questionable home run. The Owls went off for four runs in the third inning, highlighted by Jordan Betts' (Duke) three-run home run. Forest City sent 11 men to the plate in the fifth inning, scoring six runs and putting the game out of reach. Nine Owls batters combined to score three more runs in the fifth inning. The Owls scored another run in the sixth inning to bring the scoreboard to its final marker: 16-2 in favor of Forest City.
Owls starter Nick Lomascolo (Catawba) earned his fifth victory of the season, working six innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits. Talton Cherry (Brunswick CC) took the loss. The Owls' 16 runs and 17 hits are both club season highs. The Owls' game one victory earned the Owls its third consecutive Silver Cup, awarded to the winner of the season series between Forest City and Gastonia, both of which are owned by Ken and Betty Silver.
The Owls and Grizzlies will do battle again tomorrow night at Sims Legion Park. First pitch is set for 7:30 PM.
• Discuss this story on the Coastal Plain League message board...
Coastal Plain League Stories from July 28, 2011
- Peninsula Breaks CPL Team Single-Season Triples Record - Coastal Plain
- Coastal Plain League Surpasses Five Million Fans - Coastal Plain
- Owls Take Two from Grizzlies - Forest City Owls
- Sharks fall to Swampdogs, slip in South standings - Wilmington Sharks
- Tobs Lose Fifth Straight 5-4 to Peninsula - Wilson Tobs
- Smith Breaks CPL Record as Blowfish Win in 10 Innings - Lexington County Blowfish
- Fayetteville Walks, Runs Away with 9-5 Win Over Wilmington - Fayetteville SwampDogs
- Columbia's Smith Breaks CPL Single-Season Total Bases Record - Coastal Plain
- HiToms Sink Mustangs - High Point-Thomasville HiToms
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
