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Tobs win fourth straight in heart-stopping fashion over Fayetteville

July 18, 2008

Fayetteville, NC — Every night, the Tobs seem to find a different way to win a ball game. Tonight, it was a nerve-wracking way, but the winning way nonetheless, as the Wilson Tobs defeated the Fayetteville SwampDogs 4-3 at J.P. Riddle Stadium. The win was their fourth straight, and the Tobs are now 13-2 in the second half. Fayetteville is just 5-9 in the second half, and their overall record drops to 20-22. Brandon Brinson picked up his third victory of the season in relief, and Alex Meyer got save number one, wriggling out of a bases loaded jam. Parker Bangs allowed two runs to lose the game in the ninth, and he also made the final out of the game.

With Tim Adleman on the mound, the Tobs knew that they would not need an offensive outburst to bring home a victory. Unfortunately, Mike Nihsen took the hill for Fayetteville, and the game remained scoreless through the first five. Adleman at one point hit a groove of thirteen consecutive batters retired, which was broken up by Nick Fleece’s double in the fifth inning, the first hit for a SwampDog batter. The Tobs were able to break through against Nihsen in the top of the sixth.

Carlos Vasquez, in his first at bat as a member of the Tobs, singled to right field to lead things off. After Mike Markakis struck out trying to bunt, Justin Parks doubled to right field, sending Vasquez to third base with one away. Chris Henderson came through again with runners in scoring position and no one out, lining a sacrifice fly to center field, deep enough to score Vasquez with the game’s first run.

The Tobs got Adleman another run in the top of the seventh, and this time, it was not Mike Nihsen’s fault. Packy Elkins reached first base on an infield dribbler down the first base line, and Matt Sanders bunted him to second. With two outs, Cam Freeman hit a slow ground ball to short stop that went under the glove of Johnny Pharr and into left field, scoring Elkins from second. A 2-0 lead seemed insurmountable for Fayetteville the way Adleman mowed down the SwampDogs through the first six.

Adleman, however, ran into big trouble and was unable to get an out in the last half of the seventh inning. Jason King singled to center field to lead things off, and Nick Fleece drew an unusual walk from Adleman. Brett Sowers tried to bunt twice, but could not get one down in fair territory, putting himself in an 0-2 hole. Sowers then lined the next pitch into left field for an RBI single, plating King from third base and cutting the Tobs’ lead in half.

Brandon Brinson took over for Adleman in the tightest of situations, and it got even tougher as Chris Schaffer’s sacrifice bunt attempt turned into a base hit, loading the bases with none out. But Brinson was able to finish the inning keeping the game tied at two, with the only other run coming on an RBI single from center fielder Conner Crumbliss. Brinson and Nishen would each pitch scoreless eighths before the game turned in the top of the ninth inning.

Parker Bangs, who was serving as the Fayetteville designated hitter, entered the game to pitch the ninth, bringing with him a 0.79 ERA in eight appearances. The Tobs wanted to make sure that earned run average went up. Bangs walked Elkins on four pitches to begin the frame, and Matt Sanders laid down another successful sacrifice bunt. Jared Richmond then continued his exceptional clutch hitting, lining a 2-2 pitch from Bangs down the right field line, giving Wilson a 3-2 lead as Elkins was knocked home.

The Tobs were not done against Bangs as he walked Cam Freeman with one out. On the pitch that resulted in ball four, Richmond took third as it reached the screen behind home plate. As Carlos Vasquez stepped up to bat with runners and the corners and just one out, Tobs’ manager Jeff Steele pulled a double steal out of his bag of tricks. Freeman took off for second, and as catcher Chris Schaffer’s throw sailed toward second, Richmond broke toward home plate, stealing home without a play and giving the Tobs a 4-2 lead.

Wilson felt pretty comfortable giving reliable Brandon Brinson a two run lead, but that comfort quickly dissolved into anxiety and tension. Brett Sowers doubled off the third base bag to begin the bottom of the ninth inning, but Chris Schaffer was retired on a ground ball to Packy Elkins. Pinch hitter Kevin Hussey dunked a single behind third base, putting runners at the corners with one out. Brinson then got Conner Crumbliss to hit a deep sacrifice fly to right field, dropping the Wilson lead to one run. The Tobs could not wrap it up as Carter Jurica drew a walk against Brinson, putting two runners on base for Derrick Lowery.

In Wilson’s victory over Fayetteville on Wednesday, Lowery cracked his third homer of the season against Brinson, and Jeff Steele did not want to see it happen again. He called on left handed reliever Alex Meyer from the bullpen, but Meyer plunked Lowery with a 1-1 fastball to load the bases with two outs. Parker Bangs dug in with the winning run on base, and a chance to remove himself from the hole he put his team in on the mound in the top of the inning. But, the Fayetteville comeback was not to be as Bangs was retired on a fly out to Mike Markakis in dead center field, ending the game and the threat.

The Tobs have now won five games in a row over the Fayetteville SwampDogs, sweeping all three second half games at J.P. Riddle Stadium. Wilson leads the season series 6-5 with one more game coming at the end of the month. Dating back to the final week of June, the Tobs have now won 15 of their last 17 games, finding a different way to win every single night.

Jeff Steele’s ball club earned itself another long trip to Capital City Stadium, as the Tobs will take on the Columbia Blowfish Saturday night in their last game before the Coastal Plain League All Star Break. Left handed pitcher Ryan Byrd (LSU) will get the nod for Wilson, as Byrd is looking for his first victory of the season as a member of the Tobs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM, with radio coverage beginning at 6:45 on WUBN 106.9 FM with Eric Kopp.

The Wilson Tobs are a member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its twelfth season, the Coastal Plain League 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. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com.

Contact:
Eric Kopp
252-291-8627