By: Sammy Johnson

The Pilots fell to the Morehead City Marlins 5-1 for their second straight loss to begin the season. The bats came alive today for the Pilots with 12 hits, but that only translated to 1 run. The Marlins led all game, scoring in the first inning and never looking back.

A double in the 1st inning and an error in right field drove in the first run for the Marlins. In the top of the 2nd, the Marlins extended their lead to 2-0 with a solo home run by Dan Tauken. The Marlins got more insurance in the 3rd with an RBI double to right field that made it 3-0.

Short-stop Zac Morris (VMI) made the highlight play of the game, laying out to his left to snag a line drive up the middle, saving a couple of runs. 

The Pilots opened up their scoring in the 7th with an RBI single by Cole Stanford (Lenoir-Rhyne) scoring Justin Starke (VMI) to cut the lead to 3-1. 

The Marlins broke the game open in the 8th with two runs on RBI singles, making it 5-1, which was the final score. Trey Morgan (VMI) got the loss for the Pilots.

Trey Morgan put together a decent outing, giving up two earned runs in four innings. He showcased his ability to attack the zone, striking out six and walking none. Vincent Bashara (Norfolk State), Will Gross (VCU), and Michael Caldon (Felician Univ.) all had impressive outings out of the bullpen, each giving up zero runs to keep the game within striking distance.

The Pilots actually out-hit the Marlins 12-10, they just struggled with scoring them. They grounded into two double plays and left nine runners on base. Three runs over two games aren’t going to win you many games, so the Pilots will look to improve on that.

The Pilots are back in action tonight at 5:45 on the road against the Tri-City Chili Peppers.