WILMINGTON, N.C. — After a 9-5 loss to Columbia the night before, the Wilmington Sharks came into the final Thirsty Thursday of the season needing a win to keep their lead in the CPL Wild Card race. However, the Forest City Owls came down to the Port City looking to play spoiler and did so with a 2-0 win in front of a Thursday season-record crowd of 2,873.

The Sharks (23-27, 9-13 CPL second half) came out against the Owls (34-19, 15-10 CPL second half) after a 35-minute delay due to field conditions looking to jump out, but Forest City’s Seth Cutler-Voltz (W, 3-1) held the Sharks at bay all night, holding them to five hits in eight innings while striking out seven.

Wilmington’s Ryan Leach (L, 1-2) was equal to the task for most of the night, also going eight innings and allowing four hits, two runs and nine strikeouts.

Leach’s one mistake came in the top of the third. After Jake Koenig singled off Leach’s leg, Tarran Senay homered to right-center, just above the outstretched glove of Aaron Preston.

Wilmington got hits in the seventh and eighth from Aaron Miller and Ben Fish, respectively, but was unable to do anymore damage.

The Sharks best chance came in the bottom of the ninth. With most of the fans willing the Sharks on, Alex Hill and Miller led off the inning with singles off Cutler-Voltz.  Philip Brannon (S, 2) then relieved Cutler-Voltz and struck out Joey Rapp.  Kenny’s Bryant’s fly out advanced Hill to third, but Preston’s groundout ended the ball game.

With the loss and an Asheboro win, the Sharks and the Copperheads are now tied for the final CPL Wild Card spot. Currently, Asheboro would claim the spot due to their 2-0 win at home over Wilmington in the season opener back on May 26. Columbia’s 9-3 loss to Morehead City keeps them half-a-game back of both teams. Outer Banks sits 1.5 games back, Fayetteville two games back and Martinsville 2.5 games back.

If the playoff race is still undecided after Monday, August 2, the Sharks will finish the game with Outer Banks that is tied at two in the bottom of the sixth on Tuesday, August 3 at Buck Hardee Field. If Wilmington makes the playoffs, it will host Game Two of the best-of-three first round series on Thursday, August 5.

The Sharks return to action on Sunday, August 1 as they host the Columbia Blowfish for the final regular season game on Fan Appreciation Night and Perry's Diamond Dig.  Fans who attend the ball game will receive a 2010 Wilmington Sharks commemorative team photograph and can stick around after the game to get the photo autographed by their favorite Sharks players.  In addition, it's Perry's Diamond Dig where the winners of the 1/4-karat diamonds throughout the summer will be on hand to try to win a full-karat diamond buried somewhere in the infield at Buck Hardee Field.  Gates open at 4 p.m.  First pitch is at 5:05 p.m.