Late Rally Sees Salamanders Deafeat Zookeepers

McCrary Park – June 13th, 2026

Asheboro, N.C. – The Zookeepers welcomed the Holly Springs Salamanders to Historic McCrary Park for the second time this season and had previously beaten them at home, while dropping their game at Holly Springs.

Carter Fogal made his first start of the season for the Zookeepers and was dealing early.  He struck out the first batter he faced before getting the second batter to fly out to center.  Fogal then walked the third batter before giving up a two-out double to put runners on second and third.  Fogal then forced a pop-up to end a scoreless top of the first.

The Salamanders also put a debuting pitcher on the mound to start the game in Austin Loughlin.  Daniel Stephens led off for the Zookeepers and was hit by the fourth pitch of the at bat. Stephens would steal second during Brady McGuire’s at bat before McGuire flew out to center, but then Cameron Austin drove Stephens in with an RBI single to open the game.  The Zookeepers had the bases loaded with only one out, but stranded them loaded after consecutive strikeouts. (1-0)

The top of the second began the trend of the game, a give and take game.  Fogal hit the first batter that he faced, and then after a fielders choice and a strikeout he gave up an RBI single that tied the game at 1. (1-1)

The game remained tied, until the bottom of the third the former Wabash Valley teammates combined for a walk ( Brady Schollmoser) and then an RBI double from Connor Christiansen.  Christiansen would be caught stealing at third and then Loughling retired Sylas Boris and Will Oates in order to end the third.  (2-1)

In the top of the fourth, Fogal appeared to had found his groove before Ryan Schummer took him 368 ft to right field for a solo homerun.  Fogal rebounded and forced a groundout to third, before getting some help from his defense as Brady McGuire made an incredible diving catch that saved an extra-base hit.  (2-2)

Reggie Sharpe got the bottom of the fourth started off for the Zookeepers with a triple on the first pitch of his at bat.  two straight walks from Reliever Nick Bertrand loaded the bases for the Zookeepers before Brady Schollmoser worked his second walk of the day, and the third straight walk from Bertrand that walked in the third run of the game for the Zooks.  (3-2)

In the top of the fifth, Reilly Byers relieved Fogal and walked the first two batters that he faced.  Tanner Hardin then bunted himself aboard to load the bases.  The following batter, Ethan Belk, drilled a hard hit ball to Reggie Sharpe who bobbled the grounder and was only able to get one out at second.  A run scored from third on the fielders choice to tie the game and left runners on the corners with one away.  Byers was able to create a ground out for the second out and then got Drew Schmidt to strike out looking with runners on the corners to end the half-inning. (3-3)

The game remained tied at 3 until the bottom of the sixth.  Reggie Sharpe got the sixth started with a leadoff single and then stole second on the first pitch to Daniel Stephens. Stephens would go on to strike out before Reliever Aidan Warnak balked Sharpe to third and produced an RBI for Brady McGuire on a fielder’s choice. (4-3)

For the first time of the game, the Zookeepers held a lead for an entire inning but would go on to lose the lead again in the seventh when Braxton Walker gave up a single and two straight walks to load the bases before then hitting Ethan Belk to walk in the tying run.  With the bases loaded and one away, Joseph Yamamoto came in to pitch for the Zooks.  Yamamoto was down 2-0 in the count before working it back to 2-2 and then forcing a ground ball to third that resulted in a great 5-4-3 double play to strand the bases loaded.  (4-4)

After a scoreless bottom of the seventh and top eighth, the Zookeepers put up two quick outs before Daniel Stephens singled to Right Field.  Brady McGuire walked to follow up stephens and put runners on first and second with two away.  Cameron Austin then came up bat and dribbled a ball to first that caused a miscommunication and allowed Austin to beat the throw.  In the chaos of the play, Daniel Stepehens raced around to score from second on the infield single.  The Salamander’s Jake Ferretti walked the bases loaded on the next at bat and then walked in a second run.  With the bases loaded and two outs, Sylas Boris went down swinging to end the inning.  (6-4)

In the ninth, Carlos Gomez came in searching for his fifth save of the season.  he struck out the first batter that he faced and then forced a groundout to first.  With two outs and two strikes, Gomez gave up only the third hit off of himself all season.  He then walked the next two batters to load the bases loaded, and then surrendered a two-RBI double that tied the game at six. (6-6)

The Zookeepers failed to score in the bottom of the ninth as the game went to extras.  In the top of the tenth, Mark Salicco walked three straight Salamanders and walked two runs in to score in the process.  Then with the bases loaded, Ryan Beebe gave up a bases clearing double to Levi Hamm that landed off the base of the wall in Left Field.  On the relay throw in, Hamm took third and then took home on a missed throw home to solidify the Little League inside-the-park homerun. The Zookeepers would then record three straight outs to end the top of the tenth.  (6-12)

In the bottom of the tenth, the Zookeepers drove in both ghost runners on a two RBI single from Cameron Austin, but the Zookeepers were then retired in order to end the game.  A strike away from the win, the Zookeepers dropped their third loss of the season and move to a record of 9-3.

They play at home again Sunday June 14th as they host the Greenville Yard Gnomes who they defeated Friday night 8-7.  First Pitch is scheduled for 6:30.