Columbia Drops Game 1

The Blowfish dugout watches the game unfold.

COLUMBIA - Columbia's been having quite a hard time putting runs across against the Wilmington Sharks recently. One night after the Blowfish were held scoreless for the final seven frames of an 11-inning game in Wilmington, they were unable to put a run across in the last five innings of a make-up game.
    In a continuation of a June 2nd contest that was suspended by rain, the Blowfish left 11 runners stranded, falling to the Sharks 2-1 in the first game of a doubleheader at Capital City Stadium Friday evening. Derrick Smith (Erskine, 1-1) was the hard-luck loser for Columbia, taking the loss despite giving up just two runs off seven hits in a complete game. He also struck out eight. Justin Somers (Wingate) got the win after pitching into the eighth inning, giving up no runs on three hits, while striking out six. Corey Carver (Campbell) retired all four batters he faced to pick up his first save.

Derrick Smith gave up on two runs on seven hits in a complete game.

    The game was delayed by an hour and five minutes due to rain hitting the Midlands. Once it got underway, Somers quickly established control, getting out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth inning by striking out Shawn Glover (Erskine) and inducng a Smith flyout. Columbia had already inheirited a 1-0 lead from June 2nd, when Dadynoel Lorenzo's (Shorter) single drove home Glover to put the run on the scoreboard.
    Wilmington took the lead in the top of the 6th. Columbia native Tim Taylor (USC-Aiken) tripled with one out in the inning, then scored on Aaron Miller's (Gardner-Webb) line drive base hit. Miller moved to second on Nate Richards's groundout and later stole third. Smith then fired a wild pitch that got away to the backstop, bringing Miller across to give the Sharks a 2-1edge.
    That was all the scoring Wilmington needed. Columbia was not able to muster a run across in the final five frames despite having 11 baserunners in that span. Sharks' catcher Nate Horton (Presbyterian) was largely responsible for some of that offensive futility, throwing out two Blowfish attempting to steal second.
    NOTES:  Smith's two runs allowed were his first allowed in 16.2 innings of work this season.... Columbia was 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position... The Blowfish took game two in remarkably similar fashion, 2-1.