HiToms end Owls streak with 3-2 win:Daniel Frey on the CPL Trail

HiToms end Owls streak with 3-2 win
from Daniel Frey with HiToms Baseball

Forest City, N.C.– The High Point-Thomasville HiToms (26-20) play spoiler and snap the Forest City Owls (25-20) eight game winning streak in a well played 3-2 victory.

It was pitching matchup early between Austin Gardner (1-1) of the HiToms and Forest City’s Dan Vasquez (3-2) as the game was scoreless after four innings.

The HiToms broke the scoreless tie on an RBI double into the left field by David Sheaffer. Staying hot the plate, Hunter Slater grounded a run-scoring single up the middle following by a Zac Almond RBI knock to make it 3-0 HiToms after five innings. That would be it for Dan Vasquez who struck out seven batters but let up three costly runs.

Gardner danced out of danger throughout the night including when David Newcomer made a fantastic diving stop with two runners on while turning a double play to ease the situation.

It took the Owls until the bottom of the seventh to get on the board on an RBI double by Connor Grant. The final line for Gardner was 6 1/3 innings, giving up eight hits and he struck out seven Owls.

Reid Clements came in relief with one out and fired a wild pitch that brought around Grant as the Owls trailed 3-2 after seven innings.

Kaleb McCurry carried Forest City the rest of the way keeping the HiToms off of the board in four innings of work.

Forest City did not go down quietly in the bottom of the ninth as Logan Welch walked the first two Owls he faced but he recovered to strike out the next three hitters to notch his third save of the year.

The HiToms head back to Finch Field tomorrow, July 29 at 7 p.m. hosting the Asheboro Copperheads.