Steamers Bunt to Walk Off Win

Published on July 18, 2012 under Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Edenton Steamers News Release


EDENTON, NC - The Steamers (29-13, 11-5) scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on a sacrifice bunt by Jason Kanzler to earn the walk-off 3-2 win against the Morehead City Marlins (14-28, 4-11) on Wednesday at Historic Hicks Field.

Matt Wainman, who had pitched into the ninth inning a week earlier, came out to pitch the ninth inning Wednesday against the Steamers with the game tied 2-2. Robbie Zinsmeister (Indiana State University of Pennsylvania) led-off with an infield single and Michael Massi, trying to sacrifice, beat out an infield single. Jason Kanzler pinch hit and laid a bunt down the third base line. Wainman came off the mound and pounced on the ball and fired to third base wide of the bag. The ball went down the line and into the Steamers bullpen and Zinsmeister trotted home with the winning run.

Morehead City took an early 2-0 lead on Kevin McCarthy (Marist College) when Chad Shannon hit a two-run home run over the left field wall in the top of the third. The long ball was his first home run of the season.

Edenton cracked the scoreboard against Wainman, who was making his fourth start of the season against the Steamers, when Massi singled and Johnny Garrett (Southern Arkansas University) picked up his first hit of the season, moving Massi to third base. Madison Beaird (Arkansas Tech University) hit a fly ball plenty deep enough for Massi to score and it was 2-1 Marlins.

Edenton tied the game on an unearned run in the seventh inning when Massi reached on an error charged to the third baseman Reed Gordy and then scored on a throwing error by the Marlin catcher Drew Woodall. The Marlins committed four errors in the game.

McCarthy, after a two-out double by Gordy for the Marlins, went on to retire the next 10 Marlins hitters into the eighth inning. The Steamers flashed the leather in the eighth inning when Madison Beaird charged on a single to center field by Geoff Degroot. Beaird unleashed a one hop bullet to the plate and it was in time to nail Ryan Cranmer trying to score from second base. The assist was Beaird's eighth of the season and with it he tied the Steamers franchise assist record for a single season set by Justin Newman (Georgia State University) in 2004. Later in the frame Wilbur Nevarez (Lubbock Christian University) threw out Geoff Degroot trying to steal second base.

All-star Matt Duncan earned the win for his perfect ninth inning, improving to 6-1 on the season and making him the league leader in wins.

Beaird led the way for the Steamer offense with a double and an RBI. Johnny Garrett had two singles, his first two hits of the season and Massi had two singles and scored two runs.

The Edenton Steamers are a proud member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 16th season in 2012, the CPL features 14 teams playing in 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 1,000 alumni drafted and 53 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 cpleague). The Automated ScoreBook Morehead City at Edenton Jul 18, 2012 at Edenton, NC (Hicks Field)

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