Miller sets tone as Tobs halt slide

When a baseball team is struggling, the ace of the pitching staff is counted upon to stop the proverbial bleeding.

Enter hard-throwing Wilson Tobs right-hander Reese Miller, who was honored as the Pitcher of the Game in the Coastal Plain League All-Star Game Monday night when he struck out all three batters he faced in his one inning as the East starter.

For Wilson three nights later in a CPL East Division collegiate summer league clash, Miller, who hopes to be selected in the upcoming MLB draft, set the tone for the Tobs’ 4-2 victory against the Tri-City Chili Peppers that halted a season-long six-game slide in Fleming Stadium on a “Thirsty Thursday.”

In five innings that required 90 pitches, Miller, unleashing a fastball up to 90 mph, shackled the Chili Peppers on two hits and an unearned run. Miller issued three walks and struck out nine.

Indeed not only thirsty but hungry for that winning feeling, the Tobs relied upon the stout pitching of Miller and four relievers along with early offense.

Left-handers Jacob Dienes and Tanner Halvorson and right-handed closer Hunter Dyck allowed three hits and one run the last four innings, with Dyck notching his first save. The four Wilson pitchers struck out 14 Chili Peppers’ hitters.

Catching newcomer Brayden White supplied early power with a solo home run in the second inning, and the Tobs chased starting Tri-City left-hander Colin Casey (0-1), in his first start, with three runs in the fourth inning.

Wilson hopes for one of the four berths in the Petitt Cup playoffs to determine the 2024 CPL champion took a positive turn.The Tobs improved to 6-6 in the second half and to 21-15 overall. Tri-City, still with playoff hopes, dropped to 3-6 in the second half and to 13-20 overall. In the overall East Division chase, Wilson trails second-place Wilmington by a game.

“I did not realize we were on a long (losing) streak until I heard about it during the game,” Miller said. “This is when I want to throw to get us back on track. I felt good, although on short rest after the all-star game (that ended in a tie) Monday night.”

Miller noted his “slider as normal” proved a prominent pitch along with being able to “throw strikes with the fastball.”

“He’s electric,” Tobs’ pitching coach Ted Bergquist lauded Miller. “Guys know the slider is coming, and they still can’t handle it.

“He’s going to give five, six, seven innings every time out. His composure is wonderful and he fills the zone up.”

Both teams managed just five hits, but the Tobs never trailed after White, from the University of Toledo, blasted his homer with two outs in the bottom of the second. The round-tripper came after Casey retired the Tobs on four pitches in the first and recorded six outs off the first pitch.

Then, in the three-run fourth, the Tobs got singles from outfielder Mackenzie Wainwright and right fielder Hector Candelas to open the inning. A walk to White loaded the bases. A rundown that involved all three base runners produced the first out. Designated hitter Chris Amparo slapped an RBI single, and on the play, Candelas raced home on an outfield throwing error. Shortstop newcomer Alex Bouche singled in the third run.

The Tobs did not register a serious threat the rest of the way while Tri-City got a run back in the fifth. A two-out error led to an unearned run on a walk and left fielder Bobby Ayscue’s soft looper to shallow right field for an RBI single.

Dienes, a former Wilson City Little League star and current N.C. State staff pitcher, made his 2024 Tobs’ debut in the sixth, and breezed with two strikeouts. But in the seventh, the Chili Peppers axed the deficit to 4-2 on second baseman Randy Steen’s single, steal of second base, advance to third on a wild pitch and a one-out single from right fielder Danny Estrada, the game’s only player with two hits.

Dienes, who pitched only eight innings for the Wolfpack, struck out four in two innings and displayed a fastball clocked at 93 mph.

“He was very good,” said Bergquist, “especially for not throwing much. He had command of his fastball, and, when he needed a strike, he got it. He’s got to be happy; we’re happy.”

Wilson’s pitching coach added that Dienes, who pitched for the Tobs in 2022, will move into a starting role.

A teammate of Dienes on that 2022 Tobs team, Halvorson, an NCAA Division II All-American at Barton College in 2023, followed Dienes in the eighth, allowing only a two-out walk and posting a strikeout.

“He likes to come out of the pen,” Bergquist noted of Halvorson. “Today was a situation thing. We will use him both ways (starter and reliever) down the stretch. In a pressure situation, Tanner is the person we like to give the ball to.”

Miller pointed out Dyck deserved the opportunity to work in a save situation, and the right-hander responded by getting a slick game-ending double play, turned by second baseman Colby Ott to shortstop Bouche to first baseman Cole Robinson.

“The tying run came to the plate in the top of the ninth,” noted third-year Tri-City head coach James Bierlein. “We can’t ask for more than that.

“Miller was very good. He’s one of those pitchers tough every time out.  We had good at-bats against him and made him pitch a little bit”

“It’s always fun to play them. We’re playing better baseball. If we take care of our own, there’s a shot for the playoffs.”

Ditto for the Tobs.

“Maybe we will turn it around and be good again,” Miller expressed.

Score by innings:

Chili Peppers   000 010 100 — 2

Tobs    010 300 00x — 4

W-Reese Miller (4-1) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO. L-Collin Casey (0-1) 3 2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO. S-Hunter Dyck (1) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.

LEADING HITTERS — Tri-City: Danny Estrada 2-4, RBI; Randy Steen 1-4; Dalton Hurst 1-4; Bobby Ayscue 1-4. Wilson: Brayden White 1-3, HR, RBI; Alex Bouche 1-3, RBI; Mackenzie Wainwright 1-4, R; Chris Amparo 1-1, RBI.

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