FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.---In the final regular season meeting between the Wilmington Sharks and the Fayetteville SwampDogs, Wilmington pulled out a 5-2 win in 10 innings. The win officially eliminates Fayetteville from playoff contention. With the win, Wilmington stays virtually tied with Asheboro for the final playoff spot. Asheboro beat Gastonia 1-0 on Friday night. Columbia falls 1.5 games behind the wild card leaders with an 8-7 loss at Thomasville.

The Sharks wasted no time getting on the board as Aaron Preston crushed a home run over the left field fence in the first inning to go up 1-0. The home run was his second on the year and the 12^th for Wilmington on the season. Wilmington continued the scoring in the fourth inning when Aaron Miller’s infield single scored Conor Szczerba.

The SwampDogs cut the deficit in half in the fourth when Christian Cummings’ RBI single scored Matt Milroy to make it 2-1. Cummings advanced to third on an error, but was unable to score as Bradley struck out Josh Powell to end the inning.

Cummings came through again in the sixth when his two-out RBI single scored Milroy. Once again, that would be all the Sharks would allow as reliever Patrick Szczerba got Benton Yaun to foul-out to end the inning.

In the tenth, Joey Rapp led off the inning by tagging reliever Shelby Johnson (L, 0-1) for a double to center field. A bunt single by Greg Fujii put runners on the corners. After a fly out by Szczerba, Chris Mazza’s bunt single scored Rapp to give the Sharks a 3-2 lead. Hill followed it up with a two-run double to extend the lead to 5-2.

Patrick Mincey (W, 2-3) got the win for the Sharks, pitching the ninth and tenth.  Sharks starter Justin Bradley went 5.1 innings, allowed five hits, two runs, four walks and struck out six. SwampDogs starter Jordan Lindebaum went eight innings, allowed four  hits, two runs, one walk and five strikeouts. Hill led the Sharks, going 2-5 with two RBI’s.

Fayetteville’s Jimmy Roesinger accomplished a rare feat in the game, having played all nine field positions in the regulation nine innings, finishing the feat with a 1-2-3 ninth on the mound, registering one strikeout. He also went 1-2 at the plate with three walks and three stolen bases.  He reached base all five times he came to the place.

The Sharks travel to play the Columbia Blowfish on Saturday, July 31. Then the two teams turn around on Sunday, August 1 for the final regular season game at Buck Hardee Field 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.