Scheible’s walk-off grand slam lifts HiToms:Daniel Frey on the CPL Trail

Scheible’s walk-off grand slam lifts HiToms
Courtesy of Daniel Frey with HiToms Baseball

High Point/Thomasville, N.C. – It was only fitting that a game that had multiple lead changes and crucial plays ended in a walk-off grand slam by Derek Scheible. The grand slam pushed the High Point-Thomasville HiToms (14-6) past the Florence Red Wolves (6-13) 11-7 in ten innings on Friday night for a team record seventh straight victory.

“It’s a great team win,” Derek Scheible said. “I got a pitch to drive and I put it over the fence.”

Stevie Powers earned the start for the HiToms on the mound but helped out Florence early but hitting Dre Gleason with the bases loaded bringing in the first run of the game.

The Coastal Plain League hitter of the week Zac Almond answered in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run homer over the fence in right field. The score remained 2-1 until the top of the third.

The score remained 2-1 until the top of the third when Powers balked in the tying run and on the next pitch, McClain Bradley picked up an RBI groundout to put the Red Wolves in front 3-2.

Two additional runs were tacked by Florence in the fifth and the sixth as the HiToms trailed 5-2 heading into the bottom half of the sixth. David Fry doubled in a run followed by Cesar Trejo’s game tying two-run blast to left to make a brand new ball game.

In the bottom of the seventh, Almond came through again with a RBI single on the ground to right field. The HiToms regained the lead 6-5 for the first time since the bottom of the first.

The lead changed again in the top of the eighth but first Brennan Breaud delivered the game tying hit. Next batter, Reece Hampton hit a ground ball to short that and David Fry kicked it to center field even thought Hampton was thrown out at second the Florence go ahead run scored.

Pure hustle tied the game up in the next half inning with the bases loaded and one out, Scheible beat out a double play to bring the game deadlocked at 7 apiece.

Austin Reich (2-0) was lights out in relief going three innings surrendering one run and striking out six batters including the last two he faced to send it to the bottom of the tenth.

For Florence, Brett Porter (0-3) did a nice job getting out of the ninth inning jam but with the bases loaded in the tenth Scheible cranked a deep fly ball that stayed fair down the left field line for a walk-off grand slam. The HiToms have won at home on three straight walk-offs and this was by far the most exciting.

The HiToms board the train bright and early tomorrow morning to play at Wilson at 7 p.m. in a Saturday showdown.