by James Stanley, Wilson Tobs Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting
WILSON, N.C. – The Wilson Tobs (2-0) overcame a rain delay and a three-run 7th inning deficit on Friday night to down the High Point Locos (0-1) 9-8 at Historic Fleming Stadium.
Paul Sullivan (Iona College) started on the mound for the Tobs and pitched 2.0 scoreless innings on three strikeouts.
Locos starting pitcher Colby Roy (Roanoke College) pitched 2.0 innings of shutout baseball and struck out two Tobs while allowing two walks and one hit.
High Point designated hitter Drake Carrick (Greensboro College) opened the scoring in the 3rd inning with a two-RBI single to centerfield to put the Locos up 2-0.
The Tobs responded with one in the bottom of the 3rd to trail 2-1 when Riley Jepson (UT-Tyler) drove in Brainy Rojas (East Stroudsburg) on an RBI single to first base.
Tobs third baseman Dylan Scaranda (Barton College) tied the game 2-2 in the 4th inning with a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Riley Cameron (Wheeling University).
Carrick hit his second two-RBI hit of the night on a double in the 5th inning to put the Locos in front 4-2.
The Tobs capitalized on two Locos errors and a wild pitch in the 5th inning to take a one-run lead. Jepson scored Wilson’s first run of the frame on an error by High Point right fielder Shemar Dalton (North Carolina A&T). Zach Hogueisson (Tennessee Wesleyan) second on the second error of the inning to tie the game 4-4 and Cameron scored on a wild pitch to put Wilson up 5-4.
Dalton responded with a two-run homerun to right field in the top of the 6th to put the Locos back in front 6-5.
Carlos Anezquita (St. Andrews) and Carrick scored on wild pitches in the 7th inning to pad the High Point lead 8-5 into the home half of the frame.
With no outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th, Rojas was hit by a pitch and drove in Cameron to chip away at the Locos lead, 8-6. Scaranda followed at the plate, but his at-bat would have to wait out a one-hour rain delay.
At 10:45 p.m. ET, the game resumed and Scaranda tied the game 8-8 on a two-RBI single down the first base line.
Logan Keller (Navy) drove in Rojas on a sacrifice fly to right field to secure the win for the Tobs 9-8.
Jacob Myer (Purdue-Ft. Wayne) earned the win for Wilson throwing 1.0 inning and allowing two runs on two hits and a walk.
Locos reliever Drew Martin (Carolina University) took the loss pitching 0.1 innings in a blown-save. He allowed four runs on one hit, two hit-by-pitches and a walk.
Scaranda finished the night 2-3 with three RBIs, two walks and a sacrifice fly.
The Tobs and Locos agreed to shorten Friday night’s game to seven innings prior to first pitch.
The Tobs Coastal Plain League opener against the Tri-City Chili Peppers on Saturday was postponed to Monday night at 6:00 p.m. due to weather. Fans can stream the game on FloBaseball.TV or listen to the Tobs road radio broadcast on Mixlr by clicking here.
Next up, the Tobs take on the Fuquay-Varina Twins on Sunday at Historic Fleming Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. with a firework show to follow as well as entertainment from the exciting Band Jam.
The Tobs Red, White and Blue Firework Show will be on Saturday, July 3. Season tickets and ticket packages are still available and can be purchased by calling (252) 291-8627 or by visiting www.WilsonTobs.com.
The Wilson Tobs enter their 25th season as a founding member of the Coastal Plain League. The upcoming season for the Tobs will see community outreach, increased participation in helping the less fortunate, a Pettit Cup Championship team, and more exciting entertainment than ever before. We would like to dedicate each successful season to the Wilson Community, Coastal Plain League Organization, Host Families, Corporate Partners, and the Dedicated Fans.
The Wilson Tobs have played host to over 100 alumni taken in the draft and have produced a dozen players who have gone on to play in the MLB, including Cy Young MVP winner Justin Verlander. For more information on the Wilson Tobs, visit our website www.WilsonTobs.com.