Copperheads win back and forth shootout 11-9:Daniel Frey on the CPL Trail

Copperheads win back and forth shootout
from Daniel Frey with HiToms Baseball

Asheboro, N.C.– The High Point-Thomasville HiToms (27-23) surrender two separate leads en route to an 11-9 see-saw battle loss at the Asheboro Copperheads (28-22) on Tuesday night.

The HiToms came ready to play against the Copperheads starter Jack Gomersall who walked in the first run of the ball game with Danny Sullivan at bat. The first out was a productive one when David Sheaffer picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly to center. After a Colin Rosenbaum throwing error plated the third run, Eric DeJesus drove in his first runs as a HiTom on a two-run double into the gap.

It wasn’t going to be a one sided affair as the Copperheads quickly gained two runs back in the bottom of the first on a Kyle Smith run-scoring ground out and a RBI double to left from Connor Lind.
In the top of the third, Sheaffer pulled a solo homer down the left field line just fair to extend the HiTom advantage out to 6-3.

Asheboro caught up for the first time in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back RBI knocks. First a single into center by Deivy Palmeiro that Carson Jackson almost caught on a dive followed by a Joe Sabatini two-run double to knot the game up at six runs apiece.

Wasting no time in the top of the sixth, Callahan Moltzan on a groundout picked up an RBI then David Fry flared a single to right center to tack on another. With two outs in the frame, Danny Sullivan lined a single to right but Hunter Slater was thrown out at third but not before the run crossed home plate putting the HiToms back in front 9-6.

Things got weird in the bottom of the seventh after Mike Warren was taken out with one out and the bases loaded. Reid Clements (2-2) became the fourth HiTom pitcher of the evening and struck out the first batter he faced before giving up a bases clearing double to Rosenbaum. With the score all even again at nine, Clements let go a wild pitch that scored not one but two more Asheboro runs as the Copperheads got aggressive. One of the runs was Ryan Colombo who struck out earlier but he reached base on a wild pitch.
Pete Grasso (3-2) fended off the HiToms for three innings to clinch the 11-9 Asheboro victory.

The HiToms are off tomorrow but wrap up the four-game road swing at Florence at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 4.