Blowfish Take Game 2 in Marathon Doubleheader
MOREHEAD CITY – A three-run triple by Branfy Arias (Tusculum) in the top of the 11th broke open a long pitcher’s duel at Big Rock Stadium Saturday night as the Columbia Blowfish (4-4) survived an offensive famine to take game two of a marathon doubleheader from the Morehead City Marlins 6-2.
Despite lasting 11 innings, the game had only eight combined hits between the two teams. Both offenses also combined for 31 strikeouts and 24 runners left on base. Originally, the doubleheader was supposed to be two seven inning games. But two consecutive extra-inning affairs resulted in the teams playing a total of 19 innings Saturday night and Sunday morning. The first pitch in game one was at 5:05. The final out in game two was at 12:25 am, nearly seven and a half hours later.
Derrick Smith (Erskine 1-0) picked up the win for Columbia with five shutout innings, in which he surrendered only one hit and four walks, while striking out four. D.J. Jauss (East Carolina 0-1) got the loss in his CPL debut after giving up four runs on two walks, a hit batter, and the triple by Arias.
Marlins (7-3) starter Ben White (Temple) had a phenomenal night in the no-decision, giving up only one earned run off a hit in eight innings, while striking out 15 Blowfish. His counterpart, Chase Pickering (West Virginia), gave up two runs on four hits in 5.2 innings, while striking out seven.
Morehead City’s Justin Carter (St. Peters) picked up where he left off in game one, taking a pitch from Columbia starter Chase Pickering (West Virginia) over the left field wall for a home run in his second consecutive at-bat to put the Marlins up early 1-0.
The Blowfish had an answer in the third. Carter hit Ryan McCormick (Millersville) with a pitch with one down in the inning. McCormick stole second and scored after Dadynoel Lorenzo (Shorter) lined a base hit off White’s glove to score McCormick and tie the game 1-1.
Morehead City retook the lead in the fourth. Brian Litwin (Duke) doubled to start the inning, then moved to third on Trey Such’s (Methodist) sacrifice bunt. Pickering then threw a wild pitch past catcher Brison Celek (South Carolina) that allowed Litwin to score and give the Marlins a 2-1 advantage.
Columbia responded again in the fifth. Will Callaway (Appalachian State) hit a hard shot to third base. Zach Borenstein (Eastern Illinois) misplayed the ball, allowing Callaway to reach safely. Callaway then stole second and kept going to third on the passed ball by Morehead catcher Trey Such. After a Dedrick Mingo (Limestone) walk, White threw a wild pitch that bounced 15 feet away from Such and allowed Callaway to dash home to tie the game 2-2.
That would end all of the scoring for the next six innings. Finally, the Blowfish became productive in the 11th, after Jauss walked Max McEleney (San Diego), pegged Mingo, then walked Demontez Jones (Georgia Southern) to load the bases with two outs. Arias then drove a ball deep onto the warning track in right field to plate three for Columbia.
Arias later scored on a wild pitch by Marlins reliever Parker Fleming (Campbell) to extend the lead 6-2.
The Marlins won the first game of the evening in walk-off fashion after Justin Carter (St. Peters) hit a three-run home run in the eighth for the 7-4 win. Andy Podolinski (West Virginia 0-1) took the loss after giving up the shot. Columbia’s Dedrick Mingo was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and an RBI.
NOTES: After going eight games without a long ball, the Marlins hit home runs in consecutive at-bats Saturday. Carter hit the walk-off to win game one, then led off game two with a solo shot… The two teams were the first in the CPL to play Saturday, beating everyone else by over two hours. They were also the last to finish, ending more than an hour after anyone else… It was the third consecutive Blowfish road game to be decided in extras… The Blowfish return home on Sunday to take on Florence at 6:05 pm. It will be Bark at the Park Night. Bring your dog for a fun evening at Capital City Stadium.
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