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.

The Wilmington Sharks made it very clear that they were not ready for their 2011 season to end, scoring multiple runs in four separate innings and pounded out 17 hits en route to a 13-3 win over the Fayetteville Swampdogs in Fayetteville on Friday night. The Sharks win now sets up a winner-take-all game three Saturday night, also in Fayetteville.

Chris Mazza struck out nine for his sixth win of 2011, while Daniel Aldrich blasted two HRs.

Daniel Aldrich continued his recent home run streak, blasting two homers to give him a home run in each of the Sharks last three games. Aldrich’s solo shot in Morehead City Tuesday night was the game-winner in the regular season finale and his opposite field shot last night tied Game One. Aldrich won the CPL Home Run Derby in Fayetteville back on July 17^th when he belted 18 homers.

Aldrich finished his night 3-for-5 with seven RBIs to lead the Sharks, Justyn Carter had two hits and two RBIs, while Emilio Pagan and Eric Mayers each tallied two hit nights for the visitors as well.

The Sharks posted two runs in their first at-bat to set the game’s tone, before plating four runs in the third inning and three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to give starter Chris Mazza more than enough run support.

Mazza finished with nine strikeouts over seven complete innings to earn his sixth win of 2011. Mazza allowed just five hits and three walks while giving up the three Fayetteville runs.

In the first inning, Jake Mayers blasted a two-run homer that found its way just inside the left field foul pole to give the Sharks the early lead.

After Fayetteville plated a run in the bottom of the first and two runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead, the Sharks responded with a four-run third that was highlighted by Aldrich’s grand slam as Wilmington took the lead back and never looked back.

In the fifth, Aaron Preston broke out of his slump with an RBI single to right field that brought home Emilio Pagan before Justyn Carter singled back up the middle and picked up two RBIs as Moyer and Preston came home.

An inning later in the sixth, Kenny Bryant led off the inning with a double before Jake Mayers walked. With two on, it was again Aldrich who stepped to the plate and uncorked a rocket that got over the scoreboard in right field that had distance comparable to some of his shots in the CPL Home Run Derby.

The Sharks finished off the scoring in the ninth as Cam Cockman singled up the middle before advancing around the basepaths and scoring on a Scott Coleman RBI single.

Game Three of the series will be back in Fayetteville on Saturday night with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05. Jake Mayers is expected to start for the Sharks, while Alex Belew is the tentative starter for Fayetteville.

The Wilmington Sharks rallied back from an early deficit to tie the game on a Daniel Aldrich solo shot in the bottom of the seventh, only to watch their following chances be erased by the Fayetteville Swampdogs as the visitors posted a four spot in the top of the 11^th as they won Game One of the Best-of-Three Opening Round of the CPL Petitt Cup playoffs 5-1 in Wilmington Thursday night.

Daniel Aldrich had the game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Sharks fell in game one of the CPL Petitt Cup playoffs Thursday night.

The Sharks now face the task of having to win back-to-back games in Fayetteville over the next two nights to keep their 2011 season alive.

After allowing an unearned run in the top of the first inning, Sharks starter Mat Batts did not factor in the decision despite going eight innings and allowing only three hits and walking two while striking out eight Swampdogs batters.

Aldrich finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk, while Justyn Carter also had two hits and a walk for the Sharks. Eric Mayers had the only other Wilmington hit.

The Sharks, who were held hitless until the bottom of the fifth when Aldrich singled, tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Aldrich connected on an opposite-field homer to left-center field on a 1-2 pitch from Fayetteville starter Derek Brooks.

Wilmington had its chances to take the lead or win it in the eighth, ninth and tenth innings.

In the eighth, the Sharks got a two-out double from Eric Mayers before he advanced to third on a passed ball during Carter’s at-bat. After Carter drew a walk, Alex Freedman ended the inning and the opportunity with a hard grounder to second base.

In the ninth, Kenny Bryant led off the inning with a walk before he moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt from Jake Mayers. With Bryant representing the winning run on second, the Swampdogs wanted no part of Aldrich as they intentionally walked him to give the Sharks runners at first and second with one out.

Scott Coleman stepped in and popped out to the third baseman before pinch-hitter Jacob Leonardo flew out to right field to end the inning.

In the tenth, Carter reached with a two-out single before Freedman was hit by a pitch to set up another situation with runners at first and second.

Bryant stepped in and, on a 0-1 pitch, lifted the ball into shallow right-center field. The only Swampdog with a chance to make the play, second baseman Jay Cannon, made a full extension, running catch as he rolled to the ground and preserved the game.

In the top of the 11^th, Chris Dula came on to pitch for the Sharks and was charged with three earned runs on two walks and a hit-by-pitch in 2/3 of an inning before Tyler Deloach was brought in and allowed one run (on a bases loaded walk) on three hits before recording the final out of the inning.

After threatening the previous three innings, the Sharks went down in order in the bottom of the 11^th.

The Sharks will turn to Chris Mazza tomorrow night in Game Two as he will get the start for Wilmington and will square off against Dom Macaluso for the Fayetteville Swampdogs.  Game Three, if necessary, will also be in Fayetteville, on Saturday night.