Marlins win 5-4 over SwampDogs in 10 inning walk-off thriller

Updated July 08 2017
MOREHEAD CITY, N.C.

Morehead City Marlins right fielder Jackson Ware (Mercer) scored the game-winning run from third base on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning, securing the 5-4 walk-off victory over the visiting Fayetteville SwampDogs from Puck O’Neal Field at Big Rock Stadium Saturday evening. The Marlins played in back-to-back 10-inning contests after falling to the Holly Springs Salamanders 4-3 on a walk-off single from Ting Stadium last night. Morehead City tallied its first walk-off triumph of the 2017 season.

Morehead City enters the All-Star Break at 14-18 overall and 1-3 in the second half of the season, snapping their previous six-game losing streak. Fayetteville falls to 21-13 overall and 3-3 in the second half of the 2017 campaign. The Marlins have four days off before returning to action Thursday evening, July 13 when they host the Edenton Steamers from Big Rock Stadium. First pitch is slated for a 7:05 p.m. start.

Ware topped the MHC offensive charts, finishing 2-for-5 at the plate with a RBI and two runs scored. Center fielder Alec Wilson (Stanford) was 1-for-4 with a run driven in, while third baseman Randy Perez (Central Methodist) and first baseman Daulton Weeks (USC Aiken) each contributed one RBI in the contest.

For Fayetteville, shortstop Matt Morrow (Wright State) led all batters finishing 3-for-5 with a RBI, while center fielder Dallas Oliver (Florida A&M) went 1-for-4 with one run scored and a RBI. First baseman Justin Hawkins (Clemson) was 1-for-3 in the contest, scoring the game-tying run in the top of the eighth inning.

In the MHC opening frame, the Marlins struck first on a RBI double from Perez to give the hosts an early 1-0 advantage. The two-out base knock was followed by a RBI single from Wilson and run-scoring double from Ware to stretch the lead out to 3-0 in the home half of the second inning.

Fayetteville quickly answered with back-to-back RBI singles from Oliver and Morrow to trim the deficit down to 3-2 in the top half of the third inning. The Marlins added an insurance run with a RBI walk from Weeks to extend the advantage out to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning; however, a RBI double from Jayson Newman (Cal State Northridge) put the SwampDogs within one run again at 4-3.

Neither team would score until the top half of the eighth inning when Jose Rojas (Miami Dade College) drove in Hawkins on a RBI groundout to knot the score at 4-4. Both teams were held scoreless in the next four frames until Ware led-off the bottom of the 10th inning with a single, while evenutally coming around to score the game-winning run on a wild pitch from Newman to secure the thrilling one-run triumph.

Morehead City right-handed reliever Cody Boydstun (Longwood) earned his first win on the mound, improving to 1-1. Newman took the loss, falling to 1-1. Boydstun tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to lead the MHC pitching staff, allowing one hit with three strikeouts.

The 2017 CPL All-Star Game festivities take place Sunday and Monday evening from Ting Stadium at the North Main Athletic Complex in Holly Springs. The two-day event begins with the All-Star Home Run Derby at 7:00 p.m. where Nick Podkul (Notre Dame) will participate among four sluggers from the East division. Podkul and Chandler Corley (Armstrong State) will then play in the All-Star Game beginning at the same time.

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

Phone:

919-208-3636