HiToms close out first half with win
from Daniel Frey with the HiToms Baseball Club….
Holly Springs, N.C. – A four spot in the top of the fourth inning helped the High Point-Thomasville HiToms (18-9) move past the Holly Spring Salamanders (10-16) on Saturday night.
A slow start by pitcher Andrew Papp (1-3) gave Carson Jackson an early RBI chance and he took advantage with a single up the middle plating the first run of the game.
Holly Springs answered in the bottom of the second on a surprise bunt by Brandon Riley and HPT catcher Zac Almond airmailed a throw down the first base line bringing in two Salamander runs.
The 2-1 Holly Springs lead wouldn’t last long when the HiToms got a hold of Papp again with two runners in scoring position. A wild pitch saw Daniel Sullivan score the tying run and a pitch or two later Cesar Trejo delivered the go-ahead RBI single.
Connor Johnson was summoned out of the bullpen and immediately surrendered a line drive single to right center by Jackson driving in two more runs. After four innings, the HiToms were back in control ahead 5-2.
Taylor Sugg (3-0) in his second start of the season struck out Bryce Harman to work out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth. Sugg finished with six innings of work, four hits and four strikeouts.
It was a bullpen by committee for the remaining three innings and a controversial play ended the eighth inning. Brady Harlan of Holly Springs rolled a ground ball to Drew Frederic who stopped the ball on a dive and threw to first with Daniel Sullivan barely having a foot on the first base bag for the third and final out of the inning.
Logan Welch in a closer role picked up his second save of the season to put the HiToms back in the win column 5-2 over Holly Springs on the road.
With the Coastal Plain League first half in the books, the HiToms return to Finch Field tomorrow, July 3 to host the Catawba Valley Stars in an exhibition contest with fireworks immediately following the game.