Pilots Fall in Extras
June 10, 2016 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Peninsula Pilots News Release
HAMPTON, Va. - In a thrilling pitchers' showcase that ended up being the first extra inning game of their season, the Peninsula Pilots fell to the Edenton Steamers 3-2 on Friday night at War Memorial Stadium.
Starting on the mound for the Pilots, Jake Crawford (Furman) threw 4.1 scoreless innings while striking out three. Pitching for Edenton, Michael Messier (Bellarmine) allowed a run in the first inning, but only allowed one other run in his 5.2 innings pitched, striking out three in the meantime.
The Pilots got out to a good start in the first inning, scoring first, for the seventh time in the young season. Kurt Sinnen (Old Dominion) and Andrew Yacyk (Liberty) singled and Devin Mahoney (Saint Louis) walked to load the bases with two outs, but it was a wild pitch from Messier that plated Sinnen to put the Pilots on the board.
Both the Pilots and the Steamers were kept relatively quiet for the next four innings, as Crawford and Messier dueled it out, in addition to some great defensive plays. In the third inning, Pilots catcher Franco Guardascione (Jacksonville) caught Edenton's Tony Rosselli stealing second to end the inning. The Steamers returned the favor in the fourth inning, as Edenton catcher Stefan Van Horn (Washington State) threw out the Pilots' Joe Poduslenko (Seton Hall) attempting to steal second.
The Pilots' offense perked up again in the fifth inning. Nick Walker reached on a single and then advanced to third on a stolen base error by Edenton. Sinnen proceeded to score Walker on a one-out, one-run single up the middle, giving the Pilots a 2-0 lead.
After six scoreless innings, Edenton's bats came alive in the seventh inning. Bobby Schuman (CSU-Northridge) hit a leadoff triple to start the inning followed by Van Horn, who blasted a two-run home run over the left field wall to knot the game at two runs apiece.
Both teams held serve in the eighth and ninth innings, plating no one, though the Pilots threatened in the eighth. Connor Sorge (Central Missouri) reached third on a leadoff walk and subsequent Steamers' error on Will Shepherd's (Liberty) no-out single, but Sorge was thrown out at third in an attempted suicide squeeze.
The first extra inning of the Pilots' season saw ample excitement. Leading off for Edenton, Tony Rosselli (Indiana State) reached first on a Pilots' error. He then scored from first on an error that occurred during a Thatcher Coleman (Presbyterian) double to left field. This would end up being the go ahead run in a 3-2 game, as the Pilots could not muster the offense in the bottom of the tenth to match Edenton's one run.
The Pilots host Wilson on Saturday for their Superhero Night. For more information regarding the season, please visit www.peninsulapilots.com. For up to the minute details on Pilots Baseball be sure to "Like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @PeninsulaPilots. Use the #PilotsNation to spread the word about the Pilots!
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Coastal Plain League Stories from June 10, 2016
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- Huge Fourth-Inning Propels RedWolves Past Grizzlies - Florence RedWolves
- Bananas Rotten; Lexington County Hangs on against Savannah - Lexington County Blowfish
- Pilots Fall in Extras - Peninsula Pilots
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- Bohm's 2 Homers Snap Sharks' Losing Streak - Wilmington Sharks
- Steamers, Salamanders Split Twinbill - Edenton Steamers
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