Sharks Blow Lead, Still Win In Morehead City
Published on June 28, 2011 under Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Wilmington Sharks News Release
In their fourth-straight game on the road, the Wilmington Sharks jumped out to an 8-0 lead on Monday night against Morehead City, only to see the Marlins tie the game in the eighth inning before the Sharks posted a five-run ninth for a 13-8 win in CPL South Division action.
When all was said and done, only two innings saw neither team score a run, as the Sharks and Marlins tallied 19 hits over the contest.
The Sharks opened the game with two runs in the first with Justyn Carter and Ricardo Lizcano leading off the game wit hback-to-back walks before Carter scored when Jake Mayers reached on a fielders' choice and Lizcano scampered home on a Morehead City wild pitch.
Lizcano was in the middle of the scoring again in the second inning, with his two-RBI triple cleared the bases and scored Carter and Casey Allison. The visitors scored two runs for the third consecutive inning in the third inning when Morehead City walked the bases loaded before Jake Mayers scored on a passed ball and Kenny Bryant also scored later in the inning when he scampered home to give the Sharks a 6-0 lead after three innings.
In the fifth inning, Eric Mayers drove home two RBIs that scored Bryant and Evan Campbell as Wilmington looked to have blown the game open.
Morehead City proved not to go easily into the night, plating three runs in the bottom of the fifth to get on the scoreboard on three hits before adding three more hits and three additional runs in the seventh to close the gap to an 8-6 Sharks lead.
An inning later, the Marlins completed their comeback with two runs in the bottom of the eighth off of three hits as the teams went to the final frame tied at 8-all.
But in the ninth the Sharks decided the Marlins' surge would not end with a home win, as Wilmington exploded for five runs in the top of the ninth with Alex Freedman's bases-loaded, two-RBI double plating the eventual winning runs for the Sharks.
Allison picked up two RBIs two batters later when he drove home Freedman and Campbell before Carter's RBI single plated Eric Mayers for the game's final run.
Morehead City went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth as Sharks reliever Ross Whitley picked up his fourth win of the season out of the bullpen after pitching the final 1-2/3 innings with three strikeouts.
Zach Taylor was tabbed with the start for the Sharks, but did not factor into the decision despite exiting the game after six innings with a 6-3 lead after delivering a four-hit, three-run performance while striking out five Morehead City batters.
Freedman was the only Shark to tally a two-hit night despite every Wilmington hitter except Bryant recording a hit in the win. Bryant did finish his night with three walks as he scored three times.
Lizcano, Freedman, Eric Mayers and Allison each had two RBIs in the win for the Sharks, while Carter and Campbell each scored twice.
The Sharks now return home for two straight home games, beginning Tuesday night against Columbia at 7:05 on Time Warner Cable Two ¬Ëfer Tuesday with two-for-one admission and food and $2 beverages. Wednesday the Sharks host Florence with a special 11 a.m. start time for the Big Splash at the Tank.
Coastal Plain League Stories from June 28, 2011
- Peninsula Rain Interferes - Edenton Steamers
- Sharks falter late against Columbia - Wilmington Sharks
- Fayetteville Overcomes Florence, 4-2, Claims Sole Possession of First Place - Fayetteville SwampDogs
- Daredevils Fall to Tobs - Outer Banks Daredevils
- Mathews Powers Tobs past Daredevils - Wilson Tobs
- Ryan Mathews Named Rawlings Co-Hitter of the Week - Wilson Tobs
- CPL Names Players of the Week for Week 4 - Coastal Plain
- Twenty-Two CPL Alums of Florida and South Carolina Rosters in CWS Finals - Coastal Plain
- Marlins Comeback Falls Short - Morehead City Marlins
- Sharks Blow Lead, Still Win In Morehead City - Wilmington Sharks
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