(HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C.) The Salamanders were unable to push their winning streak to four games Friday, as a great performance by the Edenton pitching staff held the Salamanders to one run on five hits in a 7-1 Steamers win.

Steamers starter Jake Miller tossed six innings of one run ball, allowing only three hits. Althought he struck out four Salamanders, Miller moved his cutting fastball all around the strike zone, almost to his detriment at times as the right hander walked three and hit three batters. However despite erratic control at times, Miller kept the Manders from creating any kind of major rally, earning the win to improve to 3-2 on the season. Holly Springs’ best chance came in the first inning, when they had the bases loaded with nobody out. A double play and a groundout killed the rally, and the Salamanders only came away from the inning with one run, and would be shut out the rest of the night.

Salamanders starter Caden O’Brien (UNC) got off to a rocky start Friday, giving up three runs before recording an out in the first inning. O’Brien would settle in for the next three innings, but the lack of run support behind him tagged him with the loss Friday, dropping him to 0-1 on the year. O’Brien went four innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits, striking out three and walking three.

The Manders remained close for the middle innings, trailing 3-1 since the opening frame. However in the top of the seventh, Edenton broke the game open, scoring four runs on four hits, the biggest of which was a bases-clearing double by first baseman Zane Harris. Harris finished the game with five RBI, as he also hit a two-run home run in the first inning.

Friday’s loss pushed the Manders back to 3-5 in the second half and 11-23 on the season overall. Holly Springs will travel to Morehead City Saturday night before returning home to host Fayetteville Sunday for a 5:40 first pitch. #ManderMania

Friday’s box score: https://www.coastalplain.com/sports/bsb/2017-18/boxscores/20180713_gu4e.xml