Pilots edge HiToms on walk-off:Daniel Frey on the CPL Trail

Pilots edge HiToms on walk-off
from Daniel Frey with HiToms Baseball

Hampton, Va. – The High Point-Thomasville HiToms (24-19) end up on the wrong end of a walk-off on Monday night against the Peninsula Pilots (29-16) in a 5-4 heartbreaking loss.

The Peninsula leadoff man Will Shepherd blasted a solo homer to left off of the HiToms starting pitcher Steven Bower to get the Pilots on the board in a hurry 1-0.

David Sheaffer continued to get it done at the plate a sac-fly to right field to place the HiToms on the scoreboard.

More trouble ensued in the bottom of the third inning with the bases loaded as Bower walked in a run and threw a wild pitch not long after to put the Pilots back in front 3-1.

An odd play started off the top of the fourth when Hunter Slater cranked a deep fly ball to left field and made it to third for a triple by Shepherd misplayed it in center allowing Slater to score.
The Pilots answered in the bottom of the fifth on another solo shot this time to left field by Joe

Poduslenko to put the home team ahead by two runs once again.

In a hard fought game, the HiToms never gave up and it showed with back-to-back RBI doubles by the former Post 87 HiToms Cesar Trejo and David Newcomer. The bottom of the HPT order knotted the game 4-4.

Andrew Dill pitched 3 1/3 spectacular innings in relief setting down the first 10 Pilots he faced. The only hit he surrendered was a triple to left in the bottom of the ninth by Cole Austin serving as the winning run at third base. After an intentional walk, Kurt Sinnen pulled a grounball to the second baseman Trejo and the throw home was just late as the Pilots won in walk-off fashion 5-4.

Robbie Hiser (2-1) came in the top of the ninth in a bullpen by committee night for Peninsula to earn the win.

The HiToms stay overnight in Virginia and have an early wake up call to take on the Petersburg Generals on the road at 12:05 p.m. tomorrow, July 26.