HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C.
Game One
A walk-off home run from Dalton Hoiles (Junior, Shippensburg) allowed the Holly Springs Salamanders to defeat the Edenton Steamers 4-3 in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Chris Rodriguez (Redshirt-Junior, Wright State), whose last start ended in a dance-off that was featured on ESPN and NBCSN’s social media pages, started on the mound again for Holly Springs. He surrendered only one run on four hits over 4.2 innings, striking out three while walking none. John Grigg (Freshman, Lenoir-Rhyne), Kameron Winburn (Junior, NC Central) and Rabon Martin (Junior, Louisville) saw action in relief, with Martin notching the win.
In the bottom of the second, Zach Tondi (Junior, James Madison) kicked off the scoring with a two-run single up the middle. Two innings later, Dominick Cammarata (Sophomore, Charlotte) scampered home when a throw to the Edenton third baseman hit Cammarata’s helmet and skipped away as he slid into the base. The Steamers got on the board in the top of the fifth with a leadoff home run from Chris Ayers (Sophomore, Indiana State). Ayers hit another homer in the next inning, this time driving in two runs, to tie the score at 3-3. The score remained tied until the bottom of the eighth inning, when Hoiles hit his walk-off homer to give Holly Springs the win. Cammarata finished the game 2-3 with a double and two runs scored. The impressive stat line marked a sparkling Salamanders debut for the sophomore.
Game Two
The Salamanders used a two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to steal game two of Saturday night’s doubleheader against the Edenton Steamers, winning by a score of 5-4.
Jake Lewis (Sophomore, UNCG) was called on for the start, throwing four innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, with four strikeouts compared to no walks. Phillip Sanderson (Freshman, Louisville) threw two innings. Holly Springs native Camden Munise (Freshman, Brunswick CC) made his Salamanders debut in the seventh inning, striking out the first batter he faced on three pitches. Kent Klyman (Freshman, NC State) recorded the final out.
Holly Springs got on the board in the first inning with an RBI single from Adam Sisk (Junior, James Madison). Cory Wood (Freshman, Coastal Carolina) scored all the way from first base on the play, showing off the speed that allowed him to steal 16 bases for Coastal Carolina this season. Edenton answered in the top of the second with an RBI single of their own, courtesy of Dominic Cuevas (Junior, NC Central). William Robbins (Redshirt-Junior, Francis Marion) hit an RBI single in the top of the fourth to put the Steamers ahead 2-1. There was no more scoring until a wild pitch in the top of the sixth from Sanderson allowed two more Steamers to cross home plate. In the bottom half of the inning, Peyton Isaacson (Sophomore, Coastal Carolina), hit a no-doubt two-run home run to pull the Salamanders within one.
In the bottom of the seventh, still trailing by a run, Josh Hollander (Sophomore, Kent State) drew a leadoff walk. Wood then dropped a bunt down and used his speed to put runners on 1st and 2nd base. Sisk singled up the middle to score Hollander and move Wood to third. As Sisk ran towards 2nd, he forced an errant throw from Steamers third baseman J.J. Carr (Junior, Colorado Mesa) that ended up in right field, allowing Wood to trot home and score the winning run.
The Salamanders will travel to Fayetteville on Monday before returning home to face Wilson on Tuesday. First pitch at Ting Stadium is slated 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:
Michael Lisson
Phone:
(919) 418-9328