Blowfish Make it Three Straight

Erik Sommerville did not give up a run in 7 innings

COLUMBIA - The Columbia Blowfish may not be in the CPL South Division race, but they will probably have a say in who is before the season ends.

Less than a week after winning two games against first-place Florence, Columbia (6-11) shut down the second-place Wilson Tobs 6-1 Wednesday night at Capital City Stadium. Wilson had only three hits and committed a costly five errors.

Columbia's Erik Sommerville (Francis Marion 3-2) was masterful, allowing no runs on just one hit and eight strikeouts in seven innings. Wilson (9-6) starter Jesse Hernandez (Central Michigan 2-3) gave up five runs, two earned, on six hits in 2.2 innings.

For the second consecutive game, the Blowfish put two runs across before even recording a base hit. Matt Williams (Liberty) was hit on the helmet by the first pitch from Hernandez, then broke for second on the third pitch of the game. Wilson catcher Dale Cornstubble's (Central Michigan) resulting throw sailed into center field, allowing Williams to reach third.

Jeff Jefferson was 3-for-3, including an RBI single in the 1st.

Tyler McBride (Winthrop) followed with a ground ball to second. Second baseman Matt Johns (Western Carolina) misplayed the ball, then threw wide of first base as Williams scored. McBride then stole second and later moved over to third after Branfry Arias (Tusculum) drilled a ground ball between the legs of third baseman Aaron Watkins (Barton).

Matt Leeds drove in McBride with an RBI groundout to second. After Arias was caught stealing, Hernandez walked Trent Still (Anderson) with two outs. Jeff Jefferson (Liberty) followed with a double to right field that scored Still to give Columbia an early 3-0 cushion.

The Blowfish added another run in the second. Jim Rider (Kent St) singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on Scott Wingo's (South Carolina) walk. Williams then loaded the bases with a single into left field. Hernandez looked as though he would escape after striking out the next two hitters, but he then walked Leeds to bring home Rider and give Columbia a 4-0 lead.

Another run helped the Blowfish add to their lead in the third. John Long (Liberty) singled and later scored after a single by Wingo was misplayed by Wilson right fielder Justin Vazquez (Belmont Abbey) to give the Blowfish a 5-0 lead.

Sommerville then got into a groove, retiring sixteen consecutive Tobs before Bobby Leeper (UNC-Wilmington) broke up his no-hit bid in the sixth inning. "He threw the ball great," said Columbia head coach Lee Gronkiewicz, "We talked to him about getting ahead of hitters and he did that... His slider was good tonight."

Columbia made it 6-0 in the seventh inning after Jefferson picked up his third base hit of the evening, and later scored on Long's RBI triple down the left field line. Wilson spoiled the shuout with a run in the ninth inning. Leeper reached with a single, moved to second after Bryant Lopez (UT-Arlington) was hit by a pitch from Richard Mounce (Clemson), and scored on Matt Zeblo's (Belmont) RBI single to make it 6-1.

Notes: Columbia won their third consecutive game for the first time this season... The Blowfish have two triples the entire summer, with Long hitting both... It was the third consecutive game in which the Blowfish did not give up an error. Perhaps not coincidentally, it was also the third consecutive game in which an opponent scored one run or fewer... Both teams face each other again Thursday night at Flemming Stadium in Wilson. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm..