The Wilmington Sharks found themselves in a must-win situation for the second time in the 2011 CPL Petitt Cup playoffs, and again responded, with a 7-4 win over the Edenton Steamers in Edenton Tuesday night to set up a winner-take-all Game Three matchup tomorrow night.

Daniel Aldrich blasted two two-run homers to lead the Sharks, who also received a two-run homer from Kenny Bryant and a solo shot from Jake Mayers.

Daniel Aldrich and Kenny Bryant each had homers in the Sharks win to force Game Three.

Aldrich finished 2-for-4 with four RBI, while Bryant finished with three hits and two RBI. Justyn Carter had two hits, while Mayers and Aaron Preston had a hit apiece for the Sharks.

All of the scoring began in the top of the fourth, when Bryant doubled to center field to open the inning before Aldrich stepped in and blasted his first homer, over the right field scoreboard.

An inning later in the top of the fifth, Carter singled with one out before Bryant stepped in and delivered his two-run shot to left field to give the visiting Sharks a 4-0 lead.

Edenton responded in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs on three hits as they ran Sharks starter Stephen Vaughan.

The Steamers tied the game an inning later in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff homer off Sharks reliever Tyler DeLoach as the game sat at 4-4 until the top of the eighth.

In the eighth, Bryant opened the frame with a leadoff single before Alrdich delivered an opposite field shot over the double wall in right-center to give the Sharks the lead they would hold onto at 7-4.

Chris Mazza came on in relief and shut the Steamers down over the final three innings, striking out three and allowing only one hit as he earned the win.

Vaughan did not factor in the decision after going 4 1/3 innings and allowing three runs on four hits while striking out four Edenton batters.

Game Three of the Second Round series will be in Edenton on Wednesday night with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05. Lefty Mat Batts is expected to be the starter for Wilmington in the deciding game. Batts had a Sharks-best 1.89 ERA in the regular season, while he struck out 54 batters in 62.0 innings in 2011.

Less than a week ago, the Wilmington Sharks dropped the opening game of the First Round of the 2011 CPL Petitt Cup playoffs before winning two straight games in Fayetteville. The Sharks will face the same task against the Edenton Steamers after dropping Game One of the Second Round 14-2 on Monday night.

The Sharks must win back-to-back games on the road to keep their 2011 season alive.

The visiting Steamers had a pair of two-run homers to give themselves a 5-2 cushion through five innings, but had a five-run seventh inning to give them more than enough offense for the win as they added four runs in the ninth for good measure.

Edenton jumped out to an early lead in the top of the second when Zach Stewart connected for a two-run homer to left-center field before the Steamers added a third run in the top of the third without a hit in the inning as Ryan Brenner walked before stealing second and stealing third as he scored on Sharks catcher Eric Mayers’ errant throw to third went into left field.

The Sharks responded in the bottom of the third, when Aaron Preston reached via a one-out walk and Justyn Carter doubled to right-center to give the hosts two runners on for Jake Mayers to deliver a two-out, two-RBI single down the right field line that cut the Edenton lead to 3-2.

In the fourth, the Sharks looked to have a chance to score as Eric Mayers walked and Preston reached on an error with two outs. Carter stepped in and reached on a fielder’s choice after Preston beat the throw to second. Eric Mayers never stopped running around third base however, and the Steamers easily threw out Mayers trying to score to end the inning.

Edenton gave themselves breathing room in the fifth when Joe Wendle hit a two-run homer that just cleared the wall down the right field line to up the lead to 5-2.

The wheels fell off for the Sharks in the seventh, as Edenton scored five runs off of four hits, two walks and a hit batsman in the inning.

The Steamers tacked on four runs off five hits in the ninth for the game’s final score.

After Eric Mayers was thrown out to end the bottom of the fourth, the Sharks managed just two baserunners over the final five innings.

Carter and Jake Mayers each had two hits, while Preston had one hit to account for the Sharks five hits in the loss.

Emilio Pagan made just his second start of the summer for the Sharks and was saddled with the loss after pitching six innings and allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits and five walks while striking out six Steamers. Reliever Steven Richardson took the bulk of the load for Wilmington, allowing the final nine runs, all earned, on nine hits and two walks over two-plus innings of work.

The Sharks now have to travel to Edenton and win Games Two and Three in order to keep their 2011 season alive. Both game times are set for 7:05 starts.

For the second consecutive night, the Wilmington Sharks took an early lead over the Fayetteville Swampdogs and again posted a double-digit score as they will advance to the second round of the 2011 CPL Petitt Cup playoffs after a 12-1 win over the host Swampdogs Saturday night.

The Sharks will begin the second round with a home game on Monday night against Edenton, with gates opening at 6 p.m. and first pitch scheduled for 7:05.

The Sharks open Round Two on Monday night at home at 7:05 with gates opening at 6 p.m.

To go along with the offense, the Sharks received their second-consecutive solid start, this time from Jake Mayers, who finished his night with seven innings pitched while giving up just four hits and one run as he struck out 10 Fayetteville batters.

Offensively, the Sharks scored one run in the top of the second inning before seeing Fayetteville tie the game in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own. Wilmington never looked back from there, scoring two runs in both the third and fifth innings before posting a six-run seventh inning in the win.

Kenny Bryant led the Sharks with a four-hit, two RBI night and Alex Freedman tallied three hits in the win. Mayers, Justyn Carter, and Aaron Preston and Cam Cockman each had two-hit nights, with Cockman tallying three RBIs, Carter finishing with two RBIs and Mayers and Preston had an RBI apiece.

In the second inning, Jake Mayers started the inning with a single to left-center field before advancing around the bases via a wild pitch and bunt, he was driven home on Cockman’s single into left field.

After Fayetteville scored its run in the bottom of the second after a leadoff double, the Sharks never looked back in the win.

In the third inning, Preston opened the frame with a triple into the right field corner before Carter followed with a single of his own to bring home Preston. Two batters later with Carter at third base, Aldrich grounded into a double play that gave him an RBI as Carter came home to score.

Kenny Bryant opened the sixth with a bunt single before Cockman joined him on the basepaths as he reached on an error. Two batters later, Preston stepped in and singled home Bryant before Cockman also came home after the ball was bobbled in left field.

The Sharks blew the game open in the seventh, as they sent 11 batters to the plate.

Freedman walked to begin the inning before Aldrich followed with a single into the right field corner to put runners at first and third as Jake Mayers delivered an RBI single to right that plated Freedman as Aldrich advanced to third. Bryant continued the hitting line with a single of his own into right field that brought Aldrich home.

Cockman stepped in and drove home runs No. three and four of the inning when he singled to left field and Mayers and Bryant. After a Preston walk, Carter continued the inning with another single to left that plated Cockman before Preston later scored on a wild pitch for the sixth run of the inning.

Wilmington added one final run in the ninth as Freedman singled before Bryant doubled to right-center to bring home run No. 12 of the night.

The Sharks will open the Second Round of the 2011 CPL Petitt Cup playoffs on Monday night as they will take on the Edenton Steamers at 7:05 with gates opening at 6 p.m. Tickets can be obtained by calling the Sharks office at 343-5621.