Blowfish Lose Game 1 in Walk-off

MOREHEAD CITY – Morehead City picked quite the time for their first home run in team history.

Justin Carter (St. Peters) bounced a three-run shot off the top of the left field wall in the bottom of the eighth as the Marlins (7-2) won in walk-off fashion 7-4 against the Columbia Blowfish (3-4) in the first game of a doubleheader at Big Rock Stadium Saturday evening.

Due to the doubleheader, the game was originally scheduled to last only seven innings.

Josh Herzenberg (Oneonta State 1-1) got the win in relief after going two innings while only surrendering one hit and a walk. Andy Podolinski (West Virginia 0-1) gave up the homer to for his first runs of the young season.

            For the third consecutive game, the Blowfish gave up runs in the first inning. Carter lead off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a passed ball. After a stolen base brought Carter to third, Zack Borenstein (Eastern Illinois) tripled to right field, bringing home the game's first run.

            Three batters later, Matt Ciraco (LeMoyne) hit an RBI single that dropped into shallow center to score Borenstein and put the Marlins up 2-0.

            Morehead City added another run in the second. Tripp Lancaster (Methodist) reached safely when Columbia first baseman Bryan Hill (Union) couldn't hang on to a throw from shortstop Dadynoel Lorenzo (Shorter). Lancaster then stole second and third during the inning before coming around to score on Brian Inghram's (Methodist) base hit.

             The Blowfish came back to tie it in the third, however. Lorenzo led off with a single, then stole second. Dedrick Mingo (Limestone) brought Lorenzo home with a single to right to get the Fish on the scoreboard. Demontez Jones (Georgia Southern) then reached after Marlins shortstop Brian Inghram made a throw that bounced into the stands. Morehead City starting pitcher Shawn Armstrong (East Carolina) then hit Branfy Arias (Tusculum) with a pitch to load the bases with one out.

            Brison Celek (South Carolina) hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Mingo. Armstrong then walked Hill to load the bases a second time. Will Callaway (Appalachian State) then drew a second walk to tie the game 3-3.

            Columbia took the lead in the fifth. Arias walked to lead off, then stole second and third on consecutive pitches. Celek then plated Arias with a single to make it 4-3 Blowfish.

            Morehead City evened the score in the bottom of the inning. Preston Shuey (Francis Marion) doubled with one out and moved to third on Brian Litwin's (Duke) single. Ciraco then grounded out to second to bring the tying run across, 4-4.

            The score stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth, when the Marlins put two aboard for Carter. After a passed ball by catcher Shawn Glover (Erskine), runners were on second and third with no outs. Then, on a 2-1 pitch, Carter bounced it off the top of the wall in left field to seal the win.

            NOTES: Morehead City catcher Corey Bass left the game in the second after getting hit by the backswing of Brison Celek during a hit-and-run play… Columbia reliever Gabe Grammer also left in the sixth inning with what looked to be an arm injury… It was the first meeting between the two teams in the inaugural season for the Marlins… The second game will also be seven innings.