HiToms win 11-7 slugfest over Savannah
from Daniel Frey with HPT HiToms
High Point/Thomasville, N.C.– In a playoff push, the High Point-Thomasville HiToms (29-23) offense exploded for 10 runs in the first four innings while holding off a talented Savannah Bananas (29-20) lineup to take a wild 11-7 decision on Friday night.
Savannah already has locked up a home playoff game in the Coastal Plain League West division and they scored first on a solo homer to left center by Clint Hardy.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Carson Jackson punched a single up the middle to give the HiToms the early advantage 2-1.
Momentum shifted in the bottom of the second inning when Eric DeJesus placed a run-scoring double down the right field line immediately followed by a David Fry RBI single. Hunter Slater blew open the barn doors with a two-run no doubter home run over the right field wall. After two innings, the HiToms jumped out to a 6-1 lead on the Bananas starting pitcher Corey Beard (3-3).
The Bananas proved early on in the top of the third that they were not going to back down easy on an RBI double in the gap by Rylan Bannon. Yet, the HiTosm responded right back with Callahan Moltzan’s two-run shot over the fence in left center. A wild pitch plated another as the HiToms were cruising 9-2 just a third of the way into the ballgame.
Two more Savannah runs made their way across in the top of the fourth but Jackson answered with a solo bomb to left to bring the HiToms lead to 10-4.
Trevor Gay started for the HiToms but he left after four innings of work and Jacob Norman came in putting two runners on base while unleashing a wild pitch for a Banana run. An RBI groundout by Carson Waln kept Savannah within striking distance trailing 10-6 now having to deal with Ryan Owens on the mound (3-0). Owens went 2 2/3 but did surrender another run in the top of the seventh on a Waln single.
Up 11-7 Reid Clements closed it out for two innings to seal a HiToms victory by that score as the playoffs still loom around the corner. Friday night was the first ever and only regular season meeting between the HiToms and Bananas.
The HiToms finish the regular season against the Martinsville Mustangs starting with the final road game of the season at Hooker Field at 7:17 p.m.