By: Evan Rogers

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Behind an impressive night on the mound from Logan Lee, the Holly Springs Salamanders (6-5) defeated the Wilmington Sharks (6-5), 8-0, Friday evening at Buck Hardee Field. 

Both teams failed to plate runs in the game’s first two innings, but the Salamanders broke the standstill in the top of the third inning. After a walk and hit-by-pitch awarded Holly Springs a pair of base runners, third baseman Jack Oberdorf laced a 2-RBI double to left field to give the Salamanders an early lead, 2-0. 

In the fifth inning, center feidler Brett Callahan led off for the Salamanders. And, the sophomore from Saint Joseph’s smashed his second home run of the season, launching a solo homer to right field and extending Holly Springs’ lead to three runs. 

Then, both team’s barrels went cold, as two scoreless innings succeeded Callahan’s homer. And, the mid-game stretch featured just one hit — Andrew Ciufo’s single for the Sharks in the sixth inning. 

But, the Salamanders bounced back in the top of the eighth. 

Three walks by Wilmington loaded the bases for Holly Springs with Jack Winsett up to bat. And Winsett delivered, as the first baseman’s single found homage in the left-center field gap, and increased the Salamanders’ edge to 5-0. 

Holly Springs again loaded the bases without a hit as two walks and a hit-by-pitch ramped up the pressure on the Sharks. The pressure loomed too large for Wilmington, as a costly error at second base helped score three insurance runs for the Salamanders in the ninth inning. 

In a game in which Holly Springs only tallied five hits, it was the team’s patience to draw timely walks that proved to be the difference. Moreover, Oberdorf shined at the plate, lining two doubles and driving in two runs for the Salamanders. 

Holly Springs will return home to play back-to-back games at Ting Stadium. Saturday’s game will be against the Asheboro Zookeepers with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.