MOREHEAD CITY, NC – You’ve got to pump it up.
That was the mood at The Rock after the Marlins swept the Wilson Tobs on Saturday night to finish off a 4-0 weekend at home. MHC won 11-10 in a thriller in game one, and then followed that up with a 5-2 win in game two.
“Really, really proud of the guys,” said Marlins head coach Jesse Lancaster. “To put two performances together like that back-to-back is really impressive. 28 innings in 24 hours in the middle of July is not easy no matter how you slice it, but these guys want to be here and they’re a lot of fun.”
Game one was a crazy, back-and-forth affair that saw three ties and six lead changes.
Wilson’s Drew DeVine started the scoring with a two-run home run in the first inning off Marlin starter Ty Bothwell (Indiana).
The Marlins would hit right back in the bottom of the third inning, as returning Marlins Jack Harris (Newberry) and Zack Miller (Catawba) both hit two-run home runs in the third off Wilson starter Cameron Prayer.
Innings four through six were identical for both teams. Each scored three in the fourth, two in the fifth, and two in the sixth. After it was all said and done, the Marlins led 11-9 heading into the seventh and final inning of game one. Jordan Johnson (Arkansas-Monticello) added a two-run home run in that stretch for the Marlins, and DeVine hit his second homer of the game for Wilson.
A solo home run in the top of the 7th by Tommy Gibson pulled Wilson within a run, but Ryder Yakel (Harding) closed the door on a Marlin win.
The Marlins had several strong hitting performances in game one. Phillip Glasser (Youngstown St) went 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI, Harris homered, Miller homered, and Hunter Shepherd (Catawba) continues his scorching hot stretch with a 3 for 4 game plus two more RBIs. Johnson went 2 for 3 with an RBI as well.
Game two was a strong pitching performance that got Morehead City over the hump, taking down Wilson 5-2.
The Tobs were the ones to get on the board first, with Dylan Scaranda hitting a solo home run to right field in the top of the third inning. The Marlins would respond in the bottom half, thanks to an RBI double from VanCleave.
Morehead City kept it going in the fourth, with an RBI double from Robbie O’Neal (UNC-Greensboro). The Tobs tied it up at two in the fifth, as Logan Eickoff scored on a pass ball.
Once again, though, the fish had answers.
A 2-run go ahead RBI triple from Jordan Johnson put the Marlins back out on top. Morehead City would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to VanCleave’s RBI single.
Cam Seguin (Elon) had a strong start on the mound. The southpaw gave up one hit, one earned run, four walks and five strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched.
Joe Barberio (Canisius) earned the win for Morehead City. The reliever gave up neither a hit, an earned run nor a walk in 2.2 innings pitched, striking out three.
At the plate, VanCleave went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Johnson had a strong night as well, going 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
The Game 2 win makes it another doubleheader sweep for the Marlins, along with a four-game winning streak. The Marlins have the next three days off, and Morehead City’s next game is an exhibition with the New York Nine on Wednesday night. First pitch is set for 7:05. Get your tickets here.