Updated June 03 2017
The Peninsula Pilots rode the long ball and a strong bullpen performance led the team to a 5-3 road victory over the Edenton Steamers at Historic Hicks Field on Saturday night.
Drake McNamara (Southern Indiana), Nathan Eaton (VMI), and Drew Delsignore (Mercyhurst) all hit a solo home run to lead the Pilots offensively.
For the fourth consecutive game, the Pilots (4-0) were the first team to find the scoreboard. Starting off the game, Scott Dubrule (Jacksonville) and Jack Owens (Virginia Tech) drew back-to-back walks. Logan Augustine (Lincoln Memorial) reached on a catcher’s interference to load the bases. McNamara brought in the first run of the game with an infield single. Later in the inning, Augustine scored on a wild pitch to give the Pilots an early 2-0 lead.
The Steamers (2-2) wasted no time to respond as Kopach led off the bottom half of the inning with a solo shot to right field. Battley followed with a walk and moved to third on two straight ground outs. A RBI single by Maselli scored Battley to tie the game up at two apiece.
McNamara put the Pilots ahead with a solo home run to left field in the third inning.
Edenton knotted the score in the fourth inning when Anthony Maselli (Boston College) reached on a lead-off walk and came around to score on Tyler Burns’ (Trevecca Nazarene) double down the left-field line.
Eaton put the Pilots back on top with a solo shot of his own to right field in the sixth inning.
Trailing by one run in the eighth inning, the Steamers had a chance to tie the game or take the lead but Tad Ratliff (Lenoir-Rhyne) got out of the bases loaded jam by getting Dominic Cuevas (NC Central) to fly out with no damage.
Delsignore gave the Pilots an insurance run with a pinch-hit solo home run down the left-field line for a 5-3 lead.
Matt Mullenbach (Lincoln Memorial) was awarded the win by tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Patrick Monteverde (Virginia Wesleyan). The lefty, making his first appearance, gave up three runs in 3 1/3 innings in the brief start. Paul Hall Jr. (Virginia Tech) followed Mullenbach in relief with 2 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Ratliff recorded his second straight save in as many nights with getting out of the bases loaded jam in the eighth and cruising through the ninth.
Nick Wegman (Binghamton) took the loss for the Steamers.
After an off day on Satruday, the Pilots will face Morehead City on the road Monday night before returning home to War Memorial Stadium to face the Steamers in a doubleheader on Tuesday night at 6:05 p.m. for Poquoson Night!
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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:Taylor Sherrill
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