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

WILSON, N.C. – Trailing 4-0 into the bottom of the 3rd on Friday night, the Wilson Tobs (13-10, 8-10 CPL) scored 10-unanswered runs to defeat the Tarboro River Bandits (9-4) 10-4 at Historic Fleming Stadium.

Tarboro struck first with a two-run top of the 2nd inning to take a 2-0 lead off Wilson starting pitcher Jacob Myer (Purdue-Ft. Wayne). River Bandits catcher Ethan Fewell (Winthrop) started the scoring on a sacrifice fly that plated Michael Dolberry (Longwood). Will Smith (UT-Martin) scored the second run of the frame on an error charged to Tobs shortstop Gary Mattis (Tennessee Wesleyan).

The River Bandits doubled their lead to 4-0 in the 3rd inning on a two-RBI single by Fewell.

The Tobs responded with one run in the bottom of the 3rd to trail 4-1 when Zach Hogueisson (Tennessee Wesleyan) drove in Tommy Gibson (Shepherd) on the first hit of the night allowed by Tarboro starter Zack Mallia (UNC-Greensboro).

Wilson plated four runs in the 5th inning to take a 5-4 lead. Hogueisson cut the River Bandits lead in half, 4-2, when he drove in Mattis on an RBI single to the right-centerfield gap. The Tobs continued the scoring to trail 4-3 when Garrett Browder (Davidson) drew a bases loaded walk that drove in Hogueisson. James Arakawa (Pacific) gave Wilson a one-run lead with a two-RBI single to centerfield to cap off the scoring in the frame.

The Tobs capitalized on two productive outs in the 6th inning to extend their lead over the River Bandits 7-4. Riley Jepson (UT-Tyler) grounded out to shortstop to plate the first Wilson run of the frame and Braedon Blackford (Purdue-Ft. Wayne) hit a sacrifice fly to give the Tobs a three-run advantage.

Mattis added a run to Wilson’s lead in the 7th with an RBI single that put the Tobs in front 8-4.

Wilson scored two runs in the 8th inning to put the game away 10-4. Jepson scored the first run on an error charged to Tarboro left fielder Pete Cosentino (Montclair State) and Browder drove in the final run of the night on an RBI fielder’s choice.

Alec Greenblatt (Maryland-Eastern Shore) took the loss for the River Bandits allowing four runs on one hit and three walks in 0.2 innings pitched.

Mat Kavanaugh (Nova Southeastern) earned the win for Wilson pitching 1.0 scoreless inning in relief on one strikeout.

Mallia finished his start allowing one unearned run on one hit and six walks.

Myer’s night ended after 2.2 innings pitched. He gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits while recording three strikeouts.

The Tobs hit the road on Saturday to take on the Holly Springs Salamanders at Ting Stadium. First pitch is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET. All Tobs road games can be streamed on FloBaseball.TV or fans can tune-in to free Tobs radio coverage on Mixlr by clicking here.

The Tobs return home to Historic Fleming Stadium on Sunday, June 27 against the Peninsula Pilots to wrap up the first half of the season. First pitch is slated for 6:00 p.m. ET with gates opening at 5 for the ninth annual Home Run for Hunger Celebration Game. Fans can receive free admission to the game on Sunday in exchange for canned non-perishable food items. Wilson County residents who are unable to attend Sunday’s game can still provide help by dropping off donations through Sunday. The Wilson Tobs Home Run for Hunger is an established project that aims to feed the hungry throughout Wilson County. The Tobs goal is to collect and distributing non-perishable food items for the local Wilson County food pantries to help those that are less fortunate and those in need. We hope that everyone can find it in their hearts to donate to this wonderful cause that means so much to Wilson County and allows Wilson to help Wilson. The Tobs are also accepting monetary donations at https://WilsonTobs.com/community-events/home-run-for-hunger/. Fans who cannot make it to Historic Fleming Stadium can watch the game on FloBaseball.TV or 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.