Tobs cede East lead to Pilots in 2-1 loss

As June melts into July, the Wilson Tobs find themselves with increasingly fewer opportunities to separate themselves from the pack in the Coastal Plain League’s East Division.

One such chance came Monday night at Fleming Stadium against the Peninsula Pilots, the East first-half champion. Peninsula made the most of a two-run double in the fourth inning by designated hitter Corbin Shaw in a 2-1 victory that puts the Pilots a game ahead of the Tobs in the East second-half lead. In defeating Wilson for the third time in four meetings, Peninsula improved to 5-0 in the second half and a CPL-best 21-8 overall.

The Tobs, now 4-1 in the second half and 19-10 overall, have three more chances against the Pilots but only one of those will be at Fleming. The teams will play their final regular-season game against each other July 25 in Wilson.

Peninsula starting pitcher Dalton Barham set the tone for his team with three shutout innings. He gave up three hits while walking none and striking out six.

The Tobs tested Barham from the outset as lead-off batter Jack Kail singled for one of his three hits and took third on Cole Robinson’s double. But Barham retired the next two hitters, Nos. 4 and 5 Mackenzie Wainwright and Chase Waddell. Wilson stranded 10 runners on base on seven hits while Peninsula, with eight hits, only left five on.

Wilson starter Tai Phetluangsy wasn’t as fortunate in the top of the fourth inning, however. Peninsula first baseman Grayson Fitzwater drilled a one-out double and then, with two outs, Phetluangsy issued a four-pitch walk to catcher Cole Stanford. Shaw made him pay dearly when he roped an 0-2 offering for a two-run double. That was it for Phetluangsy as Hunter Dyck got the final out but the West Texas A&M right-hander dipped to 1-2 on the season with the loss.

Dyck was followed by Caden Parker, who pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning, before Tanner Halvorson took over. The Barton College left-hander worked the final four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and walking two while striking out three.

The Tobs put runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the fourth but Barham’s replacement, Lincoln Ransom, got out of the jam in his CPL season debut and picked up the win in the process.

Wilson got a run back in the sixth when outfielder Mackenzie Wainwright reached on an error and came around on a sacrifice fly by Mike Kelly. The Tobs threatened again in the seventh off Pilots reliiever Reilly Witmer when lead-off batter Jared Beebe was hit by a pitch and shortstop Colby Ott followed with a single and the top of the order coming up. Witmer got one out when Kail hit into a fielder’s choice but that would be it for him as another right-hander, Olvis Genao, came on to face left fielder Luke Walton.

Genao did the job, striking out Walton and Robinson — except the third strike on Robinson was dropped and he reached first to load the bases for Wainwright, the CPL home run leader with nine. Wainwright turned on Genao’s first pitch and hit a grounder to Peninsula third baseman Coleman Calabrese, who stepped on the bag to end the inning.

The Tobs were sent down in order in the eighth by Cole Koonce, the seventh Peninsula pitcher, before CPL saves leader Kenny Leiner took the mound in the ninth. Kail poked a two-out single to put the tying run on base but Leiner got Dawerlyn Amancio to fly out to right field for his ninth save.

Ryan Dooley, Henry Garcia and Shaw each had two of Peninsula’s eight hits while Kelly doubled for Wilson.

The Tobs remain home Tuesday to take on the Morehead City Marlins before facing the Marlins at Big Rock Stadium on Wednesday. The Tobs will not have a Fourth of July home game, instead playing at Tri-City on Thursday.

Wilson will then visit Martinsville of the West Division on Friday before hosting the Mustangs on Saturday with a belated Independence Day fireworks show following the game at Fleming Stadium.

Score by innings:

Pilots 000 200 000 — 2

Tobs000 001 000 — 1

W-Lincoln Ransom (1-0) 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO. L-Tai Phetlaungsy (1-2) 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO. S-Kenny Leiner (9) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO.

LEADING HITTERS — Peninsula: Corbin Shaw 2-3, 2B, 2 RBIs; Henry Garcia 2-4; Ryan Dooley 2-4; G Fitzwater 1-4, 2B, R. Wilson: Jack Kail 3-5; Cole Robinson 1-4, 2B; Mike Kelly 1-3, 2B, RBI.

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