By: Sammy Johnson
The Pilots’ comeback fell short tonight as they fell 9-8 to the Wilson Tobs. Two runs in both the eighth and ninth inning got the Pilots back into the game, but it wasn’t enough to leave Wilson with a win. Zac Morris (South Carolina) batted in four of the eight Pilot runs tonight. Cole Stanford (Lenoir-Rhyne) led the Pilots in hits, going 2-4 with an RBI.
Zac Morris started off the game with a bang in the first inning with a two-run home run with two outs in the inning to spring the Pilots to a 2-0 lead. This is his second home run this season, both coming against the Tobs.
The Tobs struck back immediately, hitting an opposite-field home run on the first pitch that they saw, cutting the lead to 2-1. Back-to-back RBI doubles scored three more runs to put the Tobs up ahead 4-2.
Zac Morris got his third RBI of the day on a sacrifice bunt in the third inning, scoring Justin Starke (VMI) who got on via single. Starke also stole second base in this inning, his first stolen bag of the season.
Cole Stanford tied the game up in the fourth with a single to right, scoring Hunter Cole (Randolph Macon).
The Tobs reclaimed the lead with back-to-back two-out RBI singles in the bottom of the fourth. Hunter Cole was able to make a nice sliding catch in the left-center gap to keep the game at 6-4.
Three runs in the fifth inning blew the game open as the Tobs took a commanding 9-4 lead.
Mason Dunaway (James Madison) hit a two-RBI single to left in the top of the eighth to cut the Tobs’ lead to 9-6.
Zac Morris plated a run on a fielder’s choice in the top of the ninth, cutting the lead to 9-7. Another run scored later in the inning on a balk to make it 9-8, but that’s how it ended.
Trey Morgan (VMI) didn’t have his best stuff tonight, giving up four earned runs over three innings of work, walking three, and striking out four.
Sam Rochard (Tennessee Wesleyan) had a great outing from the bullpen, going three innings, giving up one walk, one hit, and striking out four.
Hunter Cole stole two bags today, his seventh and eighth of the year, which leads the team.
The Pilots are back in action tomorrow night to face the Tri-City Chili Peppers in the last game of their four-game road trip.