Marlins end road trip with 14-3 loss at Fayetteville

Updated July 27 2017
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.

After the Marlins scored first in the contest, the host Fayetteville SwampDogs scored 14 unanswered runs in the next five innings en route to a 17-3 victory from J.P. Riddle Stadium Thursday evening. The Marlins conclude their three-game road trip with a 1-2 record before returning home tomorrow night.

Morehead City is now 20-24 overall and 7-9 in the second half. Fayetteville improves to 29-18 overall and 11-7 in the second half of the 2017 season. The Marlins return home to Big Rock Stadium tomorrow night, hosting the Wilmington Sharks for the final time in the 2017 season. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.

MHC third baseman Daulton Weeks (USC Aiken) led the Marlins offensive efforts going 2-for-3 at the plate with one run scored, while left fielder Derek Olenchuk (Newberry) finished 1-for-3. First baseman Kyle Skeels (Coastal Carolina) and shortstop Nick Podkul (Notre Dame) went 1-for-4 in the contest.

For Fayetteville, Jayson Newman (Cal State Northridge) went 2-for-6 with a game-high five RBIs, while Jose Rojas (Miami Dade College) finished 4-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored. Trent Franson (TCU) was 3-for-4 with three runs scored.

The Marlins plated the first run on a sacrifice fly from Sammy Miller (Longwood) scoring Skeels to put the Fish up 1-0 in the opening frame. In the bottom of the second inning, the SwampDogs offense exploded with seven runs to grab a commanding 7-1 advantage. The scoring flurry was highlighted by a three-RBI double from Newman.

Fayetteville scored seven more unanswered runs in the next four innings to extend their lead out to 14-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Marlins faced their largest deficit of the 2017 season.

In the top of the seventh inning, a walk from Weeks and a double from Olenchuk was followed by a RBI from Alec Wilson (Stanford) who drove in Olenchuk, while Weeks scored on a throwing error. Morehead City now trailed 14-3. Newman retired the Marlins in order in the top of the ninth inning to secure the 11-run victory.

Fayetteville starting right-handed pitcher Joey Gonzalez (Stetson) got the win, improving to 3-0. Morehead City starting lefty Luke Sleeper (Stanford) took the loss, falling to 0-2. Gonzalez tossed eight innings, allowing one earned run on five hits with six strikeouts.

The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 22nd season in 2018, the CPL features 16 teams playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL has had over 1,450 alumni drafted and 111 of those – including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander – make their Major League debut; while another notable alum – Russell Wilson – won Super Bowl XLVIII. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com and follow us via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @CPLBaseball..

Contact:

Jackson Kaplan

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