HiToms Drop CPL Home Opener To Forest City

THOMASVILLE, NC – Conor Clancey and and Jordan Miller each drove in two runs as the Forest City Owls beat the High Point-Thomasville HiToms 5-1.

After a leadoff single and a steal to open the game, Connor Clancey drilled a RBI double to left-center field to give Forest City (2-0) an early 1-0 lead. However, the damage worsened as an error allowed Clancey to score from second to double the lead. The Owls tacked on a single run in the top of the sixth, but the HiToms (0-2) responded in the bottom half with a leadoff triple from Alec Paradowski (sophomore, Wofford) and a RBI groundout from Glen Batson (redshirt freshman, Clemson) to slim the deficit to 3-1 for the team’s only run of the day.

Forest City’s Matthew Smith threw four shutout innings allowing just three hits while striking out five. Taylor Thurber (1-0) came on in relief and earned the win giving up one run on two hits. The HiToms’ Preston Johnson (redshirt junior, South Carolina) was the hard-luck loser (0-1) as he threw six innings of three-run ball allowing six hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

The HiToms continue to fight for their first CPL win of the season as they take on the Gastonia Grizzlies at Sims Park. First pitch is at 7:30 pm.