Tobs denied 2-0 in 5 by Peppers, rain

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. — The rain, a friend of the Wilson Tobs on Tuesday night at Fleming Stadium, proved to be the foe of the summer collegiate baseball Coastal Plain League team Wednesday evening as the guest of the Tri-City Chili Peppers.

Wilson, which squeezed out a 1-0 win at home in five innings Tuesday before thunder, lightning and a lot of rain ended the contest, found itself on the wrong end of a 2-0 outcome in five innings Wednesday at Shepherd Stadium. The

Chili Peppers scored a run each in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings of Wilson reliever Josh Wise (1-2) before the game was stopped and never restarted.

With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Tobs officially entered “must-win” territory with Wednesday’s loss, although even that might not be good enough. The Tobs, playing for the second and final Petitt Cup playoff berth from the CPL’s East Division, now trail the idle Wilmington Sharks in the overall standings by 1 1/2 games. Wilson, 24-19 overall and 9-10 in the second half, will visit the Sharks (26-17, 10-9) on Friday, but the Tobs are going to need some help.

Wilson, which hosts East first- and second-half champion Peninsula Pilots on Thursday, July 25, at Fleming, will wrap up the regular season Saturday night at Fleming against Greenville Yard Gnomes, the last-place East team. The Sharks visit Morehead City on Thursday and Tri-City on Saturday and the Tobs will need Wilmington to lose at least one of those games while going 3-0.

Sebastian Khan, making his first start on the mound for the Tobs this summer, was sharp in his three innings of work. The right-hander from Wheeling (West Virginia) University allowed one hit, walked one and struck out three.

However, his counterpart, Tri-City righty Evan Whiteaker, was up to the challenge as he went all five shutout innings to improve to 3-0 in just his second start.

Whiteaker allowed one base runner, a walk to Wilson first baseman Cole Robinson in the first inning, in the first three innings before Robinson and catcher Chase Waddell poked singles in the fourth. Whiteaker got out of that jam as well as a two-on, two-out mini-jam in the fifth.

Whiteaker’s offense finally produced for him in the bottom of the fourth against Wise, who retired the first two batters. But center fielder Michael Dolberry doubled to left field and the next batter, first baseman Eli Weisner, punched a 1-2 offering from Wise for an RBI single.

Wise got in trouble with two outs again in the fifth when he issued a base on balls to DH Evan Bouldin, who raced home on a double into the gap by third baseman Tanner Thomas.

Second baseman Jack Kail had Wilson’s third and final hit and became the Tobs’ fifth runner left on base while the Chili Peppers totaled six hits and stranded four base runners.

Score by innings:

Tobs 000 00 — 0

Chili Peppers 000 11 — 2

W-Evan Whiteaker (3-0) 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO. L-Josh Wise (1-2) 2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO.

LEADING HITTERS — Wilson: Jack Kail 1-3; Cole Robinson 1-2; Chase Waddell 1-2. Tri-City: Eli Weisner 1-1, RBI; Zion Taylor 1-2; Evan Bouldin 1-2, R; Tanner Thomas 1-3, 2B, RBI; Michael Dolberry 1-2, 2B, R.

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