MOREHEAD CITY, NC – The Marlins became the Fish Tacos, but couldn’t get back on the winning track.

Zack Budzik hit his second home run at The Rock this year, a three-run shot in the top of 3rd inning, and the Sharks never surrendered the lead after that en route to a 4-3 victory over the Fish Tacos on Taco Tuesday.

“We’re just not hitting well enough right now,” Fish Tacos head coach Jesse Lancaster said. “We aren’t hitting well enough, and we’re not getting the hits when we need them.”

Logan Campbell (Univ. of Charleston-WV) got the start and took the loss, pitching 2 and 1/3 innings and giving up the three-run homer to Budzik. In his Marlin/Fish Taco debut, Johnathan Lavallee (Long Beach State) came in and gave the Marlins a great relief outing, going 5 and 2/3 innings allowing four hits, one earned run, and racking up five strikeouts.

“Lavallee was really good tonight,” Lancaster said. “He gave us a great chance to win, and we just weren’t able to get it done.”

The Fish Tacos drew first blood in the bottom of the 1st inning, when Jack Harris (Newberry) came around to score on an RBI single from Caleb Morris (Pitt CC). The Fish Taco bats were held in check well by Shark pitching after that. They added single runs in the 6th and 8th innings off RBI singles from Conner VanCleave (Kansas) and Zack Miller (Catawba) respectively. Miller is a returning Marlin from 2019, and tonight was his 2021 debut.

The Fish Tacos left two men on in two different innings, including the 8th inning. The Sharks added their fourth run in the 5th inning off an RBI single from Kevin Gsell, and that proved to be the game winner.

The Sharks now have taken a 3-2 lead in the Golden Chumbucket series. The Marlins hit the road tomorrow for an exhibition game at the Edenton Steamers tomorrow night, and return home to The Rock to take on the Sharks once again on Thursday.