By: Sammy Johnson

The Pilots lost to the Martinsville Mustangs 11-10 in a back-and-forth matchup. There were four total lead changes in this game. Both teams’ bats were hot, each recording double-digit hits on the day.

Aaron Manias (Howard College) kicked the scoring off with a two-RBI double in the top of the first to put the Pilots up 2-0. A balk scored the first run for the Mustangs in the bottom of the first. A single later in the at-bat scored another Mustang, evening the score up at 2-2.

Martinsville took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning with back-to-back RBI doubles. A double steal later in the inning put them up 5-2. 

The Pilots punched back in the top of the third with a two-RBI double by Henry Garcia (Howard College) and a double steal to knot the game up at 5-5. 

A wild pitch in the top of the fourth put the Pilots ahead 6-5. Trey Morgan (VMI) hit an RBI single later in the inning to extend the lead to 7-5. 

A five-run bottom of the fourth inning highlighted by a bases-clearing double helped the Mustangs regain the lead, going up 10-7.

Martinsville extended their lead to 11-7 with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. 

The Pilots were able to do some damage in the top of the seventh, starting the inning off with three straight walks They scored two runs on Mustang wild pitches and got another run by an RBI groundout to cut the Martinsville lead to 11-10. 

Peninsula got the tying run in scoring position but couldn’t plate it, falling to 2-7 on the year.

The Pilots are back in action on June 15th on the road against the Wilson Tobs.