Zookeepers Rally Again vs the Martinsville Mustangs
Asheboro, N.C. – An early 0-5 deficit didn’t deter the Zookeepers’ Monday night as the team rallied back to grab the win behind an explosive night from D.H. Sylas Boris.
Kyle Rudolph made his second start of the season Monday night as the Zookeepers hosted the Martinsville Mustangs for the second time in five days. The Zookeepers pulled out a late 8th-inning comeback last Thursday night to beat the Mustangs 8-7 and were looking to move to 2-0 in the season series.
Rudolph threw a great first two innings before running into trouble finding the zone in the top of the third. Rudolph gave up a leadoff single to Harry Hoteling, and then recorded two outs in the next two batters. With two outs, Rudolph then walked three straight batters and allowed two batters to score on wild pitches, thus ending his night. Max Whitmer relieved Rudolph, but only made it three pitches into his outing before Sam York took the reliever deep to left center field to extend the lead to five.
In the bottom of the third, Brady McGuire ripped a one-out double to left-center field and broke the Zookeepers’ hitting deadlock. Sylas Boris, who was next up in the order, took the count to full before dropping a single into right-center field that scored McGuire from second (1-5).
With the deficit at four in the bottom of the fifth, the combo of McGuire and Boris continued to produce as McGuire recorded a lead-off single and Sylas Boris took his at-bat to 11 pitches before taking reliever Hunter Stewart yard for a two-run home run and cutting the Mustangs’ lead to two. Stewart continued his struggles by walking two of the next three that he faced before conceding an RBI single to Jackson Hood to make it a one-run game (4-5)
The Mustangs snapped right back in the top of the sixth as Sam York wasted no time and hit his second home run of the day. This one, to the same spot in left-center, was only a solo shot, but extended the Mustangs’ lead back to two (4-6).
In typical Zookeepers fashion, concede a run and then took it right back. Brady McGuire walked to lead the inning off, and then stole Second on the first pitch to Sylas Boris. On the second pitch to Boris, McGuire stole Third. Boris worked a 3-2 count again, and ball four got away from the catcher, allowing McGuire to take home on a wild pitch.
Joseph Yamamoto and Ian Anderson both combined for two innings of one-hit baseball in the seventh and eighth, and kept the Mustangs lead at one.
It was the bottom of the eighth inning that held all the excitement on Thursday night and it was the same case Monday night. Brady McGuire lead off the inning by reaching base, this time by the way of being hit by a pitch. Then, following the main trend of the game, Sylas Boris launched a two-run home run well out of Mccrary Park to give the Zookeepers their first lead of the night (7-6).
Carlos Gomez came in to close the game in the ninth for the Zookeepers and was searching for his third save of the season. He retired the first two batters he faced before giving up a two-out double to the Mustangs’ leadoff batter Yates Sikes. Gomez rallied with the tying run on second and got Walt Jones to strike out on a 1-2 fastball to the outside of the zone to end the game with a final of 7-6 for the Zookeepers.
Relief Pitcher Ian Anderson was awarded the win after his scroless relief effort, Gomez picked up his third save of the season, and Mustangs’ Relief Pitcher Drew Fisher was credited the loss after he allowed the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth.