Bigfoots explode early, Asheboro suffers first loss
The Asheboro Zookeepers played for the second consecutive night at home and welcomed the Boone Bigfoots to town.
On Thursday, the Bigfoots had an exhibition game rained out meaning their first official game of the season would be in Asheboro. The two teams faced off in the final game of last season in Boone where the Zookeepers were able to tackle the Bigfoots. Coming into Friday’s game, the Zookeepers knew that they needed to pitch well after using the bullpen for a whopping six innings on Thursday.
The Game
Thad Lewis from Pfeiffer University got the ball to start game number two. The first two outs came easily for Lewis via a strikeout and a ground ball right back to him. Despite getting two quick outs, the inning came to a screeching halt. The next six hitters reached base including a two run home run from Bigfoots catcher Tyler Renn.
After the first frame the Bigfoots lead 2-0.
Being down 2-0 after the top of the first was clearly an issue, but on Thursday the Zookeepers were able to dig themselves out of an early hole. Bigfoot pitcher Carson Johnson had some other ideas. Johnson set down the first three Zookeepers hitters with ease and the Bigfoots went back to the plate quickly.
As they say in baseball, when your bats are hot, they are hot and that proved to be true in Friday’s game. In the following two innings, the Bigfoots put up an additional five runs to take a commanding 7-0 lead through just three innings of play. Lewis was taken out after three innings of work despite needing to go at least five to save some arms in the bullpen. Despite Lewis giving up seven runs in his start, the bullpen shined for a second night in a row.
Four bullpen pitchers saw action from the fourth inning until the end of the game. All four pitchers combined for a shutout giving the bullpen a 12 inning scoreless streak to begin the season. While the bullpen kept the game in check it did not matter as the Zookeeper bats were as cold as an A/C with Triad Heating and Cooling. The Zookeepers were unable to get a run across the plate until the sixth inning when first baseman Alex Kean hit an RBI single. The second run for the Zookeepers did not come until the ninth inning when second baseman Sal Laimo hit a sacrifice fly into right field.
What’s next?
After it was all said and done, the Zookeepers collected their first loss of the season, 7-2. Saturday, the team will travel to Columbia, South Carolina to face the defending CPL champions, the Lexington County Blowfish. Game time is set for 7pm and you can listen on Mixlr, the home of the ZK Radio Network.