Updated June 15 2017
The Peninsula Pilots walked-off 14-13 in an extra inning thriller with the Holly Springs Salamanders on Thursday night at War Memorial Stadium.
Locked in a 13-13 tie in the 11th inning, the Pilots (11-3) used a walk off walk to grab the victory in extra innings. After two quick outs, Sam Griggs (Southern Indiana) kept the inning alive with an infield single and moved to second on a throwing error. Scott Dubrule (Jacksonville) followed with an infield single that put runners on the corners. After pitching carefully and walking Jonathan Embry (Liberty) to load the bases, the Salamanders went to the bullpen. Chris Rodriguez (Wright State) threw three straight balls before battling back to a full count. The sixth pitch of the at-bat was way outside and allowed Griggs to score to end the wild game.
The Pilots drilled out 18 hits with every player in the starting lineup recording a hit. Logan Augustine (Lincoln Memorial) paced the team with four hits and three RBIs while five other Pilots recorded multi-hit games. Chris Lehane (Jacksonville) scored four times and Drew Delsignore homered in the fourth consecutive game and added three RBIs.
Peninsula immediately got on the scoreboard with four runs in the first inning off right-hander Phillip Sanderson (Louisville). The first four Pilots strung a chain of hits together to grab the early lead. Embry started the frame with a double to left-center before Kieton Rivers (Coastal Carolina) scampered all the way to third on a triple with a ball into the gap in right-center. Lehane followed with a single to center to score Rivers for an early 2-0 lead. Augustine continued the hit attack with an opposite field single to put runners on the corners. Lehane scored on a double play ball hit by Matt Schneider (Mercyhurst). Later in the inning, Delsignore drew a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch before scoring on Spencer Horwitz’s (Radford) single for a 4-0 lead.
The Salamanders (4-10) scored their first run with the help of four walks. Dalton Hoiles (Shippensburg) knotted the score with a bases clearing double. Peyton Isaacson (Coastal Carolina) followed with a double to score Hoiles and give the Salamanders their first lead of the night.
The Pilots retook the lead in the third inning on Augustine’s two-run opposite field home run that score Lehane, who had led off the inning with a single off the pitcher.
Peninsula tacked on two more runs in the fourth to push their lead to three. Doubles by Scott Dubrule (Jacksonville) and Rivers plated the first run. Later in the inning, a wild pitch scored Lehane for an 8-5 lead.
Holly Springs exploded for five runs in the fifth inning despite only getting two hits. Three consecutive walks started the inning and Zach Piazza (Limestone) hit a bases clearing double to tie the game up at eight apiece. Logan Porter (Dixie State) tripled to center to put the Salamanders ahead by one. Austin LaFollette (UNC-Wilmington) followed with a sacrifice fly to put the visitors up by two.
The Salamanders added two more runs in the sixth on a two-run single by Tripp Shelton (UNC-Greensboro) to take a 12-8 lead.
Peninsula cut the lead to one with a three-run sixth inning. Embry led off the inning with a single to center and stole second. After a walk to Lehane, both players successfully completed a double steal which paid off as Matt Schneider (Mercyhurst) hit an infield single to score both runners. Delsignore hit a liner that went over the left fielder’s head that settled for a double to score Schneider and cut the lead to one.
In the eighth, Augustine led off with a double to right center which set up Delsignore’s monster home run that cleared the scoreboard and put the Pilots ahead by one. The home run marked the fourth consecutive game that he has homered.
Holly Springs tied the game in the ninth inning on a RBI double by LaFollette.
The two teams battled it out until the walk-off win for the Pilots in the 11th inning. The win marked the second extra inning victory for the Pilots.
The walk-off allowed Matt Mullenbach (Lincoln Memorial) to move to 2-0 on the season. The right-hander struck out five in two innings. A collection of Pilots saw action on the mound as the eight pitchers combined to strike out 20 Salamanders on the evening.
Ben Gross (Princeton) was charged with the loss, giving up an unearned run in two innings of work.
The Pilots will travel to Edenton on Friday night before returning home on Saturday night to face Wilmington for Father’s Day Game and our $10,000 prize giveaway night!
For more information regarding the season, please visit www.peninsulapilots.com. For up to the minute details on Pilots Baseball be sure to “Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @PeninsulaPilots. Also, be sure to download the Peninsula Pilots mobile app available for both iPhone and Android users! Use the #PilotsNation to spread the word about the Pilots!
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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