HiToms lose close one 7-6
Courtesy of Daniel Frey with HiToms Baseball…..
High Point-Thomasville, N.C. – Base running miscues and errors cost the High Point-Thomasville HiToms (2-2) in a 7-6 loss to the Martinsville Mustangs (3-1) on Friday night.
HiToms starting pitcher Daniel McCrary loaded up the bases in the top of the first, then recovered for two outs for before picking up a throwing error to first allowing Martinsville to lead 1-0.
Zac Almond quickly answered by blasting a three run homer putting the HiToms ahead 3-1 at the end of the first inning. The long ball wasn’t through as Joshua Smith smoked a solo homer over the wall in dead center field getting a run back for the Mustangs.
One of the turning points of the game happened in the top of the fifth inning with the game tied at 3 as McCrary surrendered a three run homer to Jacob Long changing the landscape of the game with Martinsville snagging a 6-3 lead.
The HiToms continued to fight back with a pair of RBI singles from Coll Stanley and Drew Frederic respectively in the bottom of the sixth. Martinsville added an insurance run in the eighth to set up a dramatic ninth inning.
Trailing 7-5 with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Danny Sullivan delivered an RBI single dropping the deficit down to one.
Almond stepped back into the box with runners at the corners and two outs. He slapped a liner to right field where Long saved the game for the Mustangs with a diving catch.
Ultimately, several base running mistakes including three that ended innings with runners in scoring position hurt the HiToms as well as two errors leading to Mustang runs.
Daniel McCrary (0-1) was given the loss after five innings of work, letting up five earned runs on six runs while striking out seven batters. Jim Solano (1-0) picks up his first win of the season after putting in 5 1/3 innings pitched.
The HiToms are on the road for the next three games including a trip to Forest City on Saturday, June 3 with first pitch at 7:05 p.m.