The Peninsula Pilots subdued the Holly Springs Salamanders by a score of 9-5 on Thursday evening at War Memorial Stadium.
Cory Wood (Freshman, Coastal Carolina) struck first in the opening frame, walking and stealing second before scoring on a groundout by Dalton Hoiles (Junior, Shippensburg). After falling behind 2-1, the Salamanders tied the game in the second inning by way of a Zach Tondi (Junior, James Madison) solo shot.
Peninsula regained a one-run lead, but in the top of the third it was Hoiles who sent one out of the ballpark. The homer, Hoiles’ thirteenth of the season, broke the Salamander franchise single-season home run record previously held by Collin Woody.
The teams traded runs most of the night in this back-and-forth contest, but a seventh inning homer by Peninsula’s Drake McNamara (Southern Indiana) is what put the hosts ahead for good. The Pilots added three more insurance runs in the following inning.
Josh Little (Senior, NC Central) started the game for the Salamanders, going four innings and striking out two while walking four Pilots. Matt Ranson (Freshman, Lenoir Rhyne) and Jake Isbell (Freshman, Pitt CC) also made relief appearances for Holly Springs.
The Salamanders head back home for a Friday evening duel with the Fayetteville SwampDogs. The first pitch at Ting Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m.
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 19th season in 2015, the CPL features 15 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. The CPL has had over 1,200 alumni drafted and 79 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 Twitter @CPLBaseball.
Contact:
Kyle Jensen
Phone:
(919) 249-7322