WILMINGTON, N.C. – It may be a new month, but nothing has changed for the Marlins. 

Two 3-spots, one in the top of the fifth and another in the top of the eighth, gave Morehead City a 7-4 win over the Sharks in Wilmington on Thursday night. 

“This was maybe our most complete performance offensively of the season,” said Marlins head coach Jesse Lancaster. “Without the wind we might’ve had 3-4 home runs, we were squaring up balls against some good arms tonight. We were consistent offensively, and we pitched well overall and in the right situations.”

It took a while for the scoring to open up, but Jack Harris (Newberry) did so in the top of the fifth. The right fielder hit a 2-run RBI single into left field, scoring Robbie O’Neal (UNC Greensboro) and Jack Casbarro (Mount Olive). Harris’ roommate, Zack Miller (Catawba) followed with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Justin Jonhnson (Lafayette). Harris extends his RBI lead in the CPL East with his 24th of the season. 

Wilmington would score two of its own in the bottom of the fifth, but Sean Johnson (Belmont Abbey) answered in the top of the sixth.

On his birthday, Johnson hit a solo home run to continue the scoring for Morehead City.  It was his only hit on the night. Dominick Bucko (Youngstown State) would replace Johnson in the 8th, as a pinch hitter, and came through. The center fielder hit a 2-run RBI single to extend the Marlin lead. The 2 RBIs were Bucko’s first on the season. O’Neal continued the party, driving in Bucko with an RBI bunt single. 

The Sharks scored two more in the bottom of the ninth, but it was not enough to take down the Marlins, something Wilmington has not done in its last three meetings against Morehead City.

Jared Kollar (Seton Hill) dominated once again in The Shark Tank. The newest Scarlet Knight struck out eight batters and walked nobody, giving up five hits and two runs (both unearned) in six innings pitched. 

“Jared commanded his fastball really well tonight and he has two plus put-away pitches,” Lancaster said. “When that curveball is working, it’s a really great pitch, and he had really good command of it the entire night.

In his first game with the Marlins, Casbarro put on a strong performance. The Mount Olive shortstop went 2 for 3 in four at bats, hitting a triple and a single.

“We don’t even need Jack to do that much all the time,” Lancaster said. “He was able to give us so much tonight, and that really boosted us both offensively and defensively.”

The Marlins improve to 2-0 in the second half and 16-8 overall. MHC also takes a 7-5 lead in the Chumbucket series. The Marlins look for their fourth consecutive win, at home, against the Wilson Tobs on Friday night. First pitch is set for 7:05. Get your tickets here.