WILMINGTON, N.C.--After a lengthy battle with the first place Morehead City Marlins (27-16, 11-3 CPL second half), a wild pitch by Sharks reliever Patrick Mincey (L, 1-3) in the 10th inning scored Joe Sclafani and gave the Marlins a 3-2 win over the Wilmington Sharks in 10 innings.

The Sharks (21-22, 7-8 CPL second half) brought out the bats in the second inning to take an early lead. With two outs, Sharks newcomers Aaron Preston and Brian Paulhus got back-to-back singles to set up Alex Hill, whose RBI double scored Preston for the first run. Paulhus then followed suit on a passed ball to make it 2-0 Sharks on what would be the final Wilmington run of the game.

The Marlins bounced back in the third when Preston Shuey's groundout scored Sclafani from third to halve the deficit. In the fifth, Morehead City pulled even when Luke Smierciak's sacrifice fly scored Sclafani from third.

Morehead City threatened in the eighth and ninth, but were thwarted both times. In the ninth, Justyn Carter’s single to right field sent Chris Taylor heading home. Preston’s throw to the plate beat Taylor by several steps, then Paulhus fired the ball down to second to double-up Carter to end the inning.

Wilmington’s best scoring chance late in the game came in the eighth. After a Kenny Bryant single, Greg Fujii’s double down the left field line sent Bryant heading for home from first with one out. The relay beat him by two steps and Bryant was called out at home.

The Marlins got the breakthrough run in the 10^th when Sclafani started off the frame with a single to left. After being sacrificed down to second on a bunt and advancing to third on a groundout, Mincey’s wild pitch sent Sclafani home uncontested.

In the bottom of the 10^th, Thomas Girdwood (S, 6) came on to close the game out, After Hill reached on a single and was sacrificed to second, Joey Rapp struck out swinging and Bryant grounded out to second to end the game.

Jeff Guthridge (W, 3-0) picks up the win for the Marlins having pitched the last four outs of regulation. Marlins starter Ben White went seven innings, giving up five hits and two runs while striking out nine. Wilmington’s starter Ryan Leach was equally as good, going 6.1 innings, giving up three hits, two runs and striking out one.

Hill led the Sharks offensively with 2-3 night with two walks and an RBI. Both teams left eight runners on base.  Hill’s lead-off counterpart Sclafani went 2-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored.

The Sharks return to action over the weekend as they travel to Florence to face the RedWolves on Saturday, June 24 to resume a game from July 2 that was tied 2-2 in the 6^th when the rains came. Afterward the two teams will play a seven-inning game in what was the regularly-scheduled contest. The team then heads down to Columbia on Sunday, June 25 to begin a span of four games in eight days between the two teams.

Wilmington returns back to the Shark Tank on Monday, July 26 to begin the final week of the CPL regular season against the Morehead City Marlins. Monday’s game will be Cape Fear Diagnostics Autograph Mug Night. The first 500 fans into the ballpark will receive a free mug autographed by the Wilmington Sharks, courtesy of Cape Fear Diagnostics.  July 26 is also Boy Scout Night. All scouts who wear their uniform to Buck Hardee Field will receive a free general admission ticket to that night's Sharks game. The Adult Swim Two Dollar Ticket and One Dollar Refill deal will also be available at Monday’s game. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. and first pitch is at 7:05 p.m.