Pitching, Defense Lead to Third Straight Loss for Morehead City

May 29, 2014 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Morehead City Marlins News Release


WILSON, N.C.- The Morehead City Marlins dropped their third consecutive contest Thursday evening, falling by a final of 9-1 to the Wilson Tobs at Fleming Stadium. A combination of smart, timely baseball from the Tobs, erratic pitching from the Marlins' hurlers, and a couple of errors helped Wilson out to an early lead from which Morehead City would not recover.

The Tobs got on the board early on, using small ball to scratch three runs across the plate in the first three innings. Drew Cole led off the game with a single, and when Zach Callahan tried to bunt him over he placed it perfectly up the third base line and beat it out for an infield hit. A wild pitch, and two groundouts later, the Tobs were up 3-0. Their third run of the game, which came in the third, also scored on an RBI groundout after Doug Teegarden walked and stole a base before advancing to third later in the inning.

While the Tobs' smart approach hurt the Marlins in the first couple of frames, it was the inconsistency of the Morehead City pitching that got them into further trouble and extended the Tobs' lead. Between the third and fourth innings, starting pitcher Sam Delaplane and reliever Adam Quiles combined to walk six batters and hit another three. The Tobs took advantage, and were able to tack on two more in that fourth inning to take the 6-1 lead.

Free bases were a theme throughout the game, as walks, hit by pitches, errors and wild pitches allowed Wilson's batters to take 14 extra bases during the game.

"That's it in a nutshell right there," said Marlins head coach Sam Carel. "Way too many mistakes, and we have to get that corrected."

Denis Buckley, who struck out the side in order in his one inning of work on Wednesday was a bright spot out of the bullpen for Morehead City, as he came in with two outs in the fourth and lasted through the seventh, allowing one run on just three hits while striking out three. He now has six strikeouts in his last 4.1 innings.

"He competes," Carel said. "The guy goes out there and competes. He throws strikes, he is willing to go out there and eat innings in a time like this. He has done a good job to help us finish the week strong. He has extended the bullpen so we are going to have some guys that are going to be able to go out and compete Friday and Saturday."

Meanwhile, Wilson's starting pitcher Quinn Atwood was sharp early on, holding the Marlins to just one base runner in the first three innings. But the second time through the lineup, they were able to adjust and it led to a run.

Tyler Burden led off the fourth with a single and promptly stole second base. He advanced to third on a smart play when Quincy Nieporte flied out to the wall in left, which put him in position to score easily on Matt Simmons' RBI single to center. But it was the only run the Marlins would score, as the offense continues to struggle to put runs across the plate. The Marlins have scored in just two of their last 25 innings, dating back to the season opener on May 27.

"We need to get the leadoff guy on," Carel said. "That's really been hurting us over the last couple games. We can't really do much if that leadoff guy doesn't get on, or at least one of the first few guys. It's really hard to generate offense when that doesn't happen."

The Marlins will try again for their first win of the season on Friday evening, when they return home to host the Penninsula Pilots at Big Rock Stadium. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

The Coastal Plain League is the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 18th season in 2014, the CPL features 14 teams playing North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. Furthermore, the CPL has had over 1,100 alumni drafted and 65 alums - including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander - make their Major League debut thus far. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to friend us on Facebook (at www.facebook.com/coastalplainleague) and follow us via Twitter (as CPLBaseball).



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