Weekly Review June 26th

Columbia 5
Wilmington 3

After arriving back in Wilmington at 4:52 am the morning before, the Sharks plated five runs and got solid pitching to beat Columbia 5-3 at the Shark Tank.

Dan Gerjets started and threw eight and one third giving up just three runs on seven hits while striking out five. Kyle Deese worked a scoreless ninth, striking out a pair, to pick up the save and secure the win.

After Gerjets gave up a first inning run to the Blowfish, the Sharks answered with one of their own when Mike Alvarez singled home Cory Lyda to tie it at one.

Columbia took a 2-1 lead to the bottom of the fifth but the Sharks went ahead for good with a three run inning. Neal Pritchard walked and came home on a Bobby Leeper single.  Lyda followed that up with his third triple of the season to bring home Leeper.  Lyda then scored on an RBI single by David Shambley to make it 4-2.

The Sharks tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Leeper drove home Matt Kirchner. Gerjets and Deese took over from then on and made the lead stand up to move the Sharks record to 8-11.

Wilmington 3
Florence 2

Another extra inning contest for the Sharks as they beat the first place Florence Redwolves 3-2 in 11 innings at the Shark Tank Friday night.  Rain postponed the start of the game but great starting pitching from both teams sped the game along at Buck Hardee Field.

Sharks starter Bryant Gaines gave up two runs on two hits in the first inning but held Florence to just two hits through the rest of his eight innings of work. Gaines finished the night allowing just the two runs striking out eight.

The Sharks started thier steady comeback in the 4th inning when Kolby Epley doubled Mike Alvarez home from second to pull within one. Epley again was at the plate with two down and a runner at second in the 6th when he punched a single into right field to score Cory Lyda and tie the ball game.

It would stay tied until the 11th when Lyda led off the frame with a double. Three batters later the bases were loaded for Justice French who lofted a fly ball into right deep enough to drive in Lyda from third and win the game for the Sharks. Cory Burgess picked up the win throwing three scoreless innings of relief.

Wilmington 2
Thomasville 1

For the second night in a row the Sharks push across the winning run in thier last at bat picking up a 2-1 win over Thomasville at the Shark Tank Saturday night.

Neal Pritchard was the walk off hero this time, mobbed by his teammates after a two out bloop single in the bottom of the 9th to drive in Mike Alvarez with the winning run.

The inning started with a Cory Lyda single. He came home to score from second when Alvarez was safe on a throwing error by the Hitom shortstop. Two batters later Alvarez was on his way home from second after Pritchard's heroics.

Matt Freeman a hero of his own early in this ball game, allowing just five hits spread all over his six and two thirds innings. Just a solo home run in the 6th had him on the hook until the Sharks stormed back in the 9th.

Mike Rudman worked two and a third scoreless, giving up just a hit and a walk in his first appearance this season to pick up the win and move Willmington to 10-11 on the season.

Wilmington 0
Fayetteville 2

In a game that took just over two hours the Sharks managed just two hits as they fell to the Swampdogs 2-0.

With only four base runners all game, the Sharks could not plate anything against strong Fayetteville pitching, handing starter Eric Callender the hard luck loss. Callender threw seven strong giving up just two runs in the second inning, only one earned, on just six hits.

Kolby Epley walked and stole a base in the ballgame, but he was the only runner to reach second for the Sharks in the loss. Bobby Leeper and Cory Lyda had the two hits on the quiet offensive evening.

Wilmington 6
Fayetteville 2

Leaving no doubt, the Sharks pounded out 11 hits to plate six runs and pull back into a tie for second place with Fayetteville, picking up the 6-2 win.
 
John Nester and Ben Kline in the middle of the line-up sparked the Sharks scoring attack. With two down in the fourth Nester singled and came home on a double smoked into straight away center by Kline. After four the score was tied 1-1.

It was Nester and Kline again getting it done in the 6th. Cory Lyda led off the inning with a walk and after a stolen base and sacrifice, came home to score on a balk. Back to back singles by Nester and Kline had runners on first and third. Nester came home on a wild pitch, while Kline scored on a Daniel Parker double to make the score 4-1 Sharks.

The bats added two more in the seventh to hold off any Swampdog rally.
Ryan Vander Tuig got his second win of the season going a strong six innings on the start. He gave up just one run on four hits striking out three. Mike Rudman was touched up for a run, but threw a quality three innings of relief striking out one to close out the game.

Outer Banks 7
Wilmington 4

Despite nine hits, five walks and seven stolen bases on the night, the Sharks could not come up with the clutch base hits late in the game as they fell 7-4.

The Sharks scored early but could not climb all the way back to win. A Mike Alvarez sac fly scored Bobby Leeper. The Sharks did have the bases loaded with no outs in the first, but could only plate the one run.

Trailing 4-1 after three the Sharks pulled closer in the 4th. Justice French singled with one down and, after swiping second and third, came home to score on a Matt Kirchner single. Ben Kline walked and came around to score on a Neal Pritchard sac fly to right field to make it 4-3 Devils.

Two more runs for the Dare Devils in the 6th made it 6-3. In the top of the 7th Kolby Epley answered back with a two out double to drive in Leeper who had walked. That pulled the Sharks back within two but that was as close as they would get.

Dan Gerjets started the ball game and took the loss out at Kill Devil Hills. Gerjets went six innings allowing six runs on ten hits striking out six. Peter Larson threw two innings in relief giving up a run on just one hit.