by James Stanley, Wilson Tobs Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. –The Morehead City Marlins (5-3) bested the Wilson Tobs (5-5, 2-5 CPL) 7-5 on Friday night at Big Rock Stadium.

The Marlins took the lead 1-0 in the 1st on Phillip Glasser’s (Youngstown State) sacrifice fly given up by starting pitcher Jacob Myer (Purdue-Ft. Wayne).

Wilson answered with a one-run top of the 2nd to tie the game 1-1. Dusty Baker (Mount Olive) started the frame with a base hit and Logan Eickhoff (Eastern Illinois) followed by singling to put runners at first and third for Riley Jepson (UT-Tyler). Marlins starting pitcher Jack Myers (Butler) gave up the tying run when Baker scored on a Jepson sacrifice fly to left field.

But the game would not remain tied for long.

Morehead City put a 5-spot on the board to take a 6-1 lead in the third frame. Glasser started the scoring by giving his team a one-run lead on an RBI single that scored Joe Mason (Mount Olive). Jack Harris (Newberry College) then doubled the Marlins lead to two runs on a sacrifice fly. A two-run homerun by Zack Miller (Catawba College) extended Morehead City’s lead to 5-1 and Sean Johnson (Belmont Abbey) capped off the scoring with a solo homerun to put the Tobs behind by five runs. With two outs, Nate Fiala (East Stroudsburg) relieved Myer to record the final out of the inning.

Baker led off the 4th with a walk and advanced to third on Eickhoff’s second hit of the night. Baker got the Tobs on the board to trail 6-2 when he scored on an error by Glasser at shortstop.

The Marlins responded by negating the Tobs run with a run of their own in the bottom half of the 4th to lead 7-2 when Mason scored on a double-steal.

Dawson Smith (Kaskaskia College) took the reins from Fiala in the 5th inning and finished the night pitching 4.0 scoreless innings. He recorded two strikeouts and allowed one hit.

The Tobs showed tenacity in the 9th inning to trail 7-3 when Drew DeVine (Western Michigan) drove in Brainy Rojas (East Stroudsburg) on an RBI single off Marlins reliever Ty Bothwell (Indiana). With two outs, Zach Hogueisson (Tennessee Wesleyan) delivered a clutch two-RBI base hit to get the Tobs within two runs of tying the game. Baker, representing the tying run, drew a walk to bring the go-aheard run to the plate, Eickhoff, who was 4-4 on the night. Morehead City went to the bullpen to record the final out and brought in Ryder Yakel (Harding) to slam the door. Yakel recorded the save by striking out Eickhoff to secure the win 7-5 for the Marlins.

Eickhoff finished the night going 4-5 on four base hits

Myers got the win allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits in 5.0 innings pitched. He finished the start recording four strikeouts along the way.

Myer took the loss for Wilson pitching 2.2 innings. He gave up six runs on six hits and struck out two Marlins.

The Tobs return to the Atlantic coast on Saturday to take on the Wilmington Sharks at 7:00 p.m. ET. Fans can stream the game on FloBaseball.TV or listen to the Tobs road radio broadcast for free on Mixlr by clicking here.

The Tobs return home to Historic Fleming Stadium on Sunday, June 13 to take on the Edenton Steamers at 6:00 p.m. ET. Gates open at 5. Bring your dog to the game for free treats and tags during our 2021 Bark at the Park sponsored by Coastal Posh Boutique. Hang out with the Maggie Society during the game to meet their adoptable dogs, learn about their fostering program and get your puppy fix. Be sure to take advantage of all of the deals on Cash Saver Sunday presented by State Farm Jana Lake and T.L. Herring: $1 hotdogs, $2 nachos and $2 snocones. Fans who buy all three have the chance to win cash and Tobs prizes. Fans who can not make it to the game can stream it on FloBaseball.TV or watch locally on Greenlight Channels 2 or 900-HD.

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.