Blowfish Win Streak Snapped

COLUMBIA SC - The Columbia Blowfish (11-12, 23-28) had been playing so well lately, it looked like a playoff spot was almost guaranteed. But after tonight, things look a lot more uncertain.

The Blowfish fell 9-3 to the Morehead City Marlins (14-6, 29-19) at Capital City Stadium on a Thursday night where their defense seemed to completely disappear. Columbia commit five errors on the game, four of them coming from shortstop Taylor Black (Kentucky).

The typical starter at shortstop, Matt Williams (Liberty), could not play shortstop today because he pitched 6 innings yesterday in Wilmington, and thus was forced to play second base. Black, who is a shortstop with the Wildcats, has not fielded much recently because of a sprained finger and still is not 100 percent healthy according to Head Coach Lee Gronkiewicz.

It looked like this one was going to be a low scoring game at first. Columbia took their only lead of the game, 1-0, when Branfy Arias (Tusculum) singled with one out in the bottom of the second. He stole second and third base, which pushed his total on the season  at the time to 37 swiped bags, then scored when David Greene (Citadel) launched a two-out double down the right field line to plate Arias.

After that though, the Marlins scored eight unanswered runs to put the outcome of the game well out of question. They answered Columbia's run in the top of the third when Justyn Carter (St. Peter's) reached on a two base error by Demontez Jones (Georgia Southern), who dropped a ball hit to the warning track. Carter came around to score on a Luke Smierciak (Florida Gulf Coast) single. Then, in the fifth inning, the Blowfish pitching imploded. In all, Morehead City sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning, and the first seven reached and came around to score. Blowfish pitching issued two walks with the bases loaded, and struggled the entire game with their control.

"Alot of borderline pitches didn't go our way I guess," Coach Gronkiewicz said after the game.

The blow in the inning came off the bat of Chris Schaeffer (NC State), when he hit a two run single to push the score to 5-1. Morehead City added another three runs before the inning ended, and Columbia trailed 8-1.

The Fish had the makings of a rally going in the home half of the inning, when Greene lead off with a single. Jones laid down an excellent bunt, and it appeared he would beat the throw to first base. But Carter just barely beat him as he covered the bag while the first baseman fielded the ball, and Jones was out by a half step. Ryan McCormick (Millersville) then sharply hit a ball, but it was right to Carter at second for the second out of the inning. Bryan Hill (Union) pinch hit for Nick Orvin (Citadel) and drove in Greene with a single, but by that point, it was too little, too late.

The eight runs was more than enough run support Brent Powers (Sam Houston State, 7-2) would need on the evening, although he was not as sharp as usual. He allowed two earned runs on four hits, while walking three and striking out four. Three Marlin relievers combined to pitch the final four innings of the game, and Josh Herzenberg (Onconta State) picked up the save by pitching three perfect innings to end the game.

NOTES: Arias stole three more bases in the game. He now has 40 steals on the season... The loss snapped Columbia's winning streak at 6, and their home winning streak at 4 games... Two Marlins made their 2010 CPL debut tonight. Dave Christy (Limestone) started at third base, and Thomas Walsh (Concordia College) came into to catch after Corey Bass (North Florida) was injured in the sixth inning... Columbia moved into a tie with Asheboro for ninth in the Pettit Cup Playoff hunt. They both trail Wilmington by a half-game for the final wild card spot... Columbia travels to Thomasville to take on the HiToms in the only meeting of the year between the teams. They return home Saturday, July 31st for their final home game of the year against the Sharks. Kids will be able to Play Catch with the Blowfish before the game. Kids can take the field about 6:15. All college students will be admitted free with school ID.