Blowfish Rally From 4 Down, Stun Grizzlies
GASTONIA – The Blowfish entered the top of the ninth at Sims Legion Field down by three runs. They had managed only two runs off six hits for the entire game and found themselves facing one of the best bullpens in the Coastal Plains League.
Last year's team may have folded. The 2008 team may have gone down quietly to end the game.
But this is a different team in 2010.
Columbia (3-2) used timely hitting and aggressive baserunning, taking advantage of several Gastonia (4-3) mistakes to rally for three runs in the ninth and two in the tenth to stun the Grizzlies 7-5 Thursday night.
Gabe Grammer (Presbyterian, 1-0) struck out four in two innings to pick up the win. Nicholas Holtgrieve (Ouachita Baptist, 0-1) blew his first save of the season for the loss.
The Grizzlies struck early with a run in the second inning. Byron McKoy (Temple) singled, then stole second and third on consecutive pitches. Zach Luevanos (Seminole State) brought him home with a single to right field, giving Gastonia a 1-0 advantage.
Columbia was unable to get any offense going against Gastonia starter Jordan Underwood (SE Missouri) until Brison Celek (South Carolina) homered over the left field fence in the fourth to tie the game 1-1.
The Grizzlies didn't wait long to respond, putting three runs across in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead. Columbia starter Thomas Little (South Carolina) gave up three consecutive singles to Austin Potter (Skagit Valley CC), Dallas Burke (Iowa), and McKoy to load the bases.
Luevanos followed with a ground ball to first. Celek, the Blowfish first baseman, stepped on first and fired home, but Potter slid underneath catcher Shawn Glover (Erskine) to give Gastonia the lead back. Nathan Hille (Tarleton St) followed with an RBI single to plate Burke. Little then threw a wild pitch that rolled to the backstop and allowed McKoy to score to give the Grizzlies a 4-1 lead.
Gastonia added another in the fifth. Seth Boyd (Wagner) reached on an error after Celek bobbled a ground ball. He then stole second and scored on Burke's single to make it 5-1 Grizzlies.
Underwood had an excellent start for Gastonia, giving up only one run on four hits in six innings in the no-decision. He also never allowed more than one baserunner per inning.
Columbia began their rally in the seventh. Will Callaway (South Carolina) and Glover greeted Gastonia reliever Kevin Kirksey (Union) with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and third with no outs. Ryan McCormick (Millersville) then hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Callaway and close the gap 5-2.
The Blowfish came all the way back with three runs in the top of the ninth. Celek led off with a single against Holtgrieve. Columbia coach Lee Gronkiewicz then brought Tyler Sturkie (Newberry) in as a pinch runner. The move paid off when Sturkie advanced to third after a wild pick-off throw from Holtgrieve. Glover then doubled Sturkie home to make it a two-run game.
Holtgrieve hit McCormick with a pitch and both McCormick and Glover stole second and third, respectively, to put runners on second and third with two outs for Dadynoel Lorenzo (Georgia Perimeter). Lorenzo then lined a base hit into center field to tie the game 5-5. The Blowfish almost put more runs on the scoreboard, but Holtgrieve got Bryan Hill (Union) to ground out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Columbia took the lead for the first time in the 10th. Holtgrieve walked Sturkie to start the inning. Gastonia coach Jason Plourde then brought reliever Tim Combs (Eastern Michigan) into the game for his CPL debut. It was a rough start for Combs. He balked Sturkie over to second, then gave up a bunt to Callaway. Third baseman Nathan Hille threw the ball wildly to first, allowing Callaway to reach.
Combs appeared rattled and committed the second balk of the inning, bringing Sturkie home to score and moving Callaway to second. Callaway then stole third, drawing a high throw from Gastonia catcher Zach Luevanos that sailed into left field. Callaway ran home to give the Blowfish their final 7-5 margin.
The team bailed out Little, who gave up five runs, four earned, on eight hits in 4.2 innings.
NOTES: Gastonia had not allowed a run after the seventh inning all season… Similarly, the Blowfish bullpen has not given up a run in the past three games, and still has not allowed a run after the 6th inning… Columbia hasn't lost to Gastonia since 2006… The Blowfish return home to Capital City Stadium on Friday to host the Florence Red Wolves at 7:05 pm. All fans in attendance will be entered for a chance to win Atlanta Braves tickets.
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