Owls Walk-Off Over HiToms

FOREST CITY, N.C. – Zach Cerbo hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth Saturday night as the Forest City Owls beat the High Point-Thomasville HiToms 4-3.

The HiToms scored right off the bat as Bradley Morton (jr., Appalachian State) hit his first homer of the year, a solo shot to left field in the top of the first. Starting pitcher Brody Koerner (so., Clemson) started off the game throwing four hitless innings, but was victimized by the Owls’ Devin Wenzel’s game-tying solo homer in the bottom of the fifth. Forest City (9-7) then took a 2-1 lead off of a throwing error in the bottom of the sixth inning.

High Point-Thomasville (6-8) stormed back in the top of the eighth. Alec Paradowski (so., Wofford) and Morton led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Two batters later, Jared Allen (jr., Middle Tennesse State) drove a two-run triple to dead center field and gave the HiToms the lead back 3-2. Forest City’s Maleeke Gibson had a response though, ripping the game-tying RBI single to left to tie the game at three apiece.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Forest City loaded the bases with nobody out. The HiToms’ Jordan Simons (so., Louisville, 0-1) struck out the subsequent batter, but catcher Zach Cerbo reached on an infield single chasing home the game-winning run and setting off a wild celebration at first base.
The HiToms return home to Finch Field on Father’s Day, facing the Owls for the second straight game. First pitch Sunday is at 5 P.M.