Santa, pitching boost Tobs over Sharks

Christmas, arguably, can come early.

The Wilson Tobs summer league baseball team was convinced of as much Sunday night at Fleming Stadium as the “Christmas in July” promotion spurred them to a much-needed 4-1 Coastal Plain League decision against the Wilmington Sharks.

Trailing 1-0 in the sixth inning, Wilson plated its four runs in the bottom half of the inning in defeating East Division rival Wilmington for the second time in three meetings.

Just the second win in the last eight games pulled the Tobs within a half-game of the Sharks for second place in the overall standings. With Peninsula looking likely to add a second-half top finish to its first-half title, the East Division team with the second-best overall record will land a berth in the Petitt Cup playoffs to crown the 2024 champion,

Peninsula sets the overall pace at 26-10, followed by Wilmington at 23-16 and Wilson at 22-16. In the second-half standings. Peninsula is the front-runner at 10-2, followed by the Tobs at 7-7 and Wilmington at 7-8.

The Sharks have nine games remaining and Wilson 10. The Tobs are off Monday and Tuesday before traveling to Peninsula on Wednesday.

“This was a big one for us,” exclaimed Wilson head coach Noah Cartwright. “It looks like it could be one of us (to finish second).”

“It was a big game for us,” admitted Sharks head coach Russ Burroughs. “We are still ahead of them in the playoff (chase), and we play them at our place the next-to-last game of the (regular) season.”

The Tobs’ Barton College quartet of infielder Jared Beebe and pitchers Andrew Simone and Tanner Halvorson and catcher Chase Waddell seemed to come away with more than their share of gifts.

Beebe replaced injured Jack Kail at third base and collected a single and scored a run in his first at-bat. Waddell batted 1 for 3, reached base twice, scored a run and responded with a solid performance behind the plate.

Simone, who pitched only nine innings in his senior season at Barton, dazzled in his three-nning relief stint that evened his record to 2-2. Simone, a right-hander, spaced four hits, struck out three and did not issue a walk.

Halvorson, an NCAA Division II All-American at Barton in 2023, got the call to work the ninth and responded by notching his second save, allowing just a two-out walk.

“Simone was awesome tonight,” Cartwright said. “He was dominant. We planned to pitch him two innings and pitch Tanner two innings But Simone was pitching so good that we decided to let him go another inning and save Tanner for the ninth.”

“That was my best outing,” said the pleased Simone. “I felt in control. I was ready to throw and ready to command.

“It’s hard to say which was my best pitch. I mixed them all up, but if I had to say one pitch was working the best, it would be my change-up. It worked very well to set up the fastball.

“I just wanted to fill up the zone, and the first-pitch strike is always the key to success. No walks … not tonight. My main goal was to fill up the zone, pitch with conviction, pitch with confidence and trust the defense. It’s a great experience in Wilson I’m having this summer.”

The Tobs got defensive gems from Kail, shortstop Alex Bouche, first baseman Cole Robinson, center fielder Mackenzie Wainwright and right fielder A.J. Jones, a product of Southern Nash High.

The Sharks tallied their only run against starting Wilson right-hander Jonah Milchuck on Sharks catcher Austin Smith’s home run with two outs in the bottom of the first.

Milchuck blanked Wilmington on three hits the next four innings, but left after five innings, trailing 1-0.

“Milchuck was solid,” Cartwright lauded. “He did exactly what we wanted from him.”

Wilmington starter Travis Lavendier, the ace of the staff, shackled the Tobs on two hits through five innings, striking out five.

“Fantastic!” Burroughs described Lavendier’s performance. “We just couldn’t help him out in the bullpen.

“We used our top three arms to try and get this one.We couldn’t get it together. A couple of the guys just didn’t have it tonight. We lost a lot of our guys; five starters have left.Their replacements are still trying to figure out their games. But the way we have been playing.”

Spencer Cipro, the Sharks’ No. 2 starter, lasted two batters, giving up a single to Beebe and a hit batsman. Cipro wound up with the loss.

Tobs hitters then found the holes against Thomas Paxton, No. 3 on the Wilmington staff.

After Bouche’s sacrifice bunt, Robinson, Waddell and left fielder Luke Walton singled in succession. Robinson drove in two runs, and Walton one. Beebe scored on a wild pitch for the first run.

“I thought Robinson had a good game,” Cartwright expressed. “That’s the fastest I’ve seen him run when he scored from second (on Walton’s single).”

Wilson’s head coach was extremely pleased his three pitchers yielded but three walks.

“Look at the difference!” Cartwright said. “We went out and played our game tonight, and it showed. It was a good, clean game. That was just a textbook ball game.”

Not to be overlooked was the impact of Santa (Michael McCroskey). HIs attire easily identified him as the old guy. And he stayed around for a while, singing the National Anthem before the game that was delayed an hour because of lightning within a five-mile radius and handing out mints to spectators.

“Magic was in the air tonight,” the smiling Cartwrifht offered. “I know I enjoyed (Christmas in July) and I think everybody in Wilson did.

Score by Innings:

Sharks 100 000 000 — 1

Tobs 000 004 00x — 4

W-Andrew Simone (2-2) 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO. L-Spencer Cipro 0 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO. S-Tanner Halvorson (2) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO.

LEADING HITTERS — Wilmington: Austin Smith 1-4, HR, RBI; Luke Jenkins 2-4, 2B; Mike Strllrecht 1-3, Cam Hassert 1-3. Wilson: Jared Beebe 1-3;  Cole Robinson 2-4, 2 RBIs; Chase Waddell 1-3; Luke Walton 1-3, RBI; Alex Bouche 1-3.

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