After dropping the first game of a doubleheader against the High Point-Thomasville HiToms on Tuesday night at McCrary Park, the Asheboro ZooKeepers bounced back to win game two 4-2.
Game One:
The HiToms jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after scoring two runs against ZooKeepers starter Ethan Snyder. They tacked on a solo home run in the third to make the score 3-0.
In the bottom half of the third, Tyler McPeak drove in his 17h and 18th runs of the season with a double to score Cole Laskowski and Carter French.
With a run in the top of the fourth, the HiToms went back ahead 4-2 but a Dallas Callahan RBI single in the bottom half scored Lleyton Lackey to cut the deficit back to one. However, the HiToms exploded for five runs in the sixth to go ahead 9-3. They held on to win by that score, handing the Zooks their first loss in the opening game of a doubleheader this season.
Game Two:
The Zooks did not stay down on the mat long after their opening-game setback. After a scoreless first inning from starter Danny Thompson, Jake Holland drove in French with an RBI single in the bottom half of the frame to put Asheboro ahead 1-0.
McPeak extended the lead in the bottom of the third with his second two-RBI double of the night, this time scoring French and Dylan Driver. McPeak’s seven doubles this season are five more than the next best on the team.
Thompson threw four scoreless innings with six strikeouts before exiting after the conclusion of the fourth. The HiToms proceeded to score a pair of runs off reliever Austin Fine in the top of the fifth to make the score 3-2. After surrendering a pair of runs and still with no outs, Driver caught a shallow pop fly and threw a laser from right field to third baseman Daniel Cerda who laid down a tag in time to convert a crucial double play. The Zooks got the third out they needed in the next at-bat to limit the damage and hold onto the lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, French was brought home for the third time on the night, this time on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jared Beebe. French’s .389 batting average leads the team as the North Carolina Tar Heel has seven hits in 18 at bats to go along with five walks.
With their lead back at two runs, Jaden Stockton delivered a six-out save, with four of the outs coming via strikeouts. Stockton became the first ZooKeeper pitcher to earn multiple saves on the season with the effort. Thompson was credited with the victory, as he also became the first ZooKeeper pitcher with multiple wins.
The ZooKeepers finish their five-game homestand at McCrary Park on Thursday with a 7 p.m. tilt against the Holly Springs Salamanders. Gates will open at 6 p.m. Tickets will be available at the gate and online at this link. The FloSports broadcast can be accessed by clicking here.
Written by Jacob Kisamore