Sharks End Pilots' Quest for Three-Peat
August 7, 2015 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Peninsula Pilots News Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. - A night after Kennard McDowell hit the game winning home run, McDowell was at it again hurting the Pilots with the go-ahead RBI to lift the Wilmington Sharks to a 6-4 victory in the decisive Game 3 over the Peninsula Pilots to advance to the East Division Finals. The loss ended the Pilots' attempt to win their third straight Petitt Cup Championship as they dropped the past two games after winning Game 1 of the series. Wilmington will advance to the East Division Finals against the winner between Edenton and Holly Springs with the first game being played on Sunday evening.
Tied at three in the seventh inning, Kennard McDowell (UNC-Wilmington) made the Pilots pay with a sacrifice fly to score Joseph Roberts (North Greenville) for the go-ahead run. Later in the inning, Andy Austin (UNC-Wilmington) scored on a wild pitch and the Sharks had a two-run lead. The Sharks added an insurance run in the eighth and held off the Pilots to clinch their first playoff series win since 2011.
The Sharks struck first with a two-out solo home run by Sam Foy in the second inning to take an early 1-0 lead.
Peninsula had a chance to tie it up in the third inning when Connor Myers (Old Dominion) hit a two-out double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Sharks' starter, Michael Castellani (Bucknell), was able to get a groundout and remained unscathed.
McDowell reached on a single to lead off the bottom of the third. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, McDowell advanced to third on a wild pitch. Alex Destino (South Carolina) hit his second home run in as many days with a two-run blast to center field to extend the lead to 3-0.
Castellani cruised through the first five innings but ran into trouble in the sixth inning when the Pilots tied it up with three runs. Danny Valdez (Lincoln Memorial) led off the inning with a double down the left field line. After a flyout, Garrett Brooks (East Carolina) cashed in the first run of the game for the Pilots with a single to right field to score Valdez. Jimmy Kerrigan (VCU) drew a walk to chase Castellani. Will Shepherd (Liberty) met the new Sharks' pitcher, Kevin Boswick (Lehigh), with a two-run double to score Brooks and Kerrigan and tie the game at three apiece. The Pilots had a chance to cash in more with Shepherd at third base with one out but Boswick was able to retire the next two to keep it tied.
The Sharks retook the lead in the seventh with two runs off of Zack Burke (Wake Tech) to take a 5-3 advantage. Burke was cruising along with three scoreless innings until he walked Roberts and gave up a single to Austin to put runners on the corners with one out. A wild pitch moved Austin into scoring position and the Pilots elected to go after McDowell. McDowell made the Pilots pay with a sacrifice fly to score Roberts for the go-ahead run. Later, Austin scored on a wild pitch and the Sharks had a two-run lead.
The Pilots had a chance in the eighth inning when Brooks reached on a leadoff walk but Evan Braband (NC State) came in to retire the next three Pilots to maintain a two-run advantage.
Wilmington added an insurance run with two outs in the eighth inning. Back to back walks set up Foy's single to left field to give the Sharks an important three-run advantage.
Peninsula would not go away quietly as the first two Pilots reached in the ninth inning against Braband. Hunter Taylor (South Carolina) drew a walk and advanced to second on Kurt Sinnen's (Old Dominion) single to center. A groundout moved the runners up a base before a Valdez sacrifice fly plated a run to cut the deficit to two but a strikeout ended the Pilots rally and ultimately, the season.
Boswick picked up the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts before Braband pitched the final two innings for the save. Burke took the loss for the Pilots by tossing 4 1/3 innings of two-run ball. The right-hander also struck out five.
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Coastal Plain League Stories from August 7, 2015
- Sharks End Pilots' Quest for Three-Peat - Peninsula Pilots
- Sharks Defeat Pilots 6-4, Advance to Eastern Division Championship - Wilmington Sharks
- Headed to the Second Round: Blowfish Sweep Copperheads - Lexington County Blowfish
- Grizzlies Sweep Florence, Advance to West Finals - Gastonia Grizzlies
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