Zookeepers fall to the Owls.

The Asheboro Zookeepers came back home to welcome the Forest City Owls for the first time this season. The Zookeepers were coming off a memorial day win against the local Post 45 team. As for the Owls, they flew into Mccrary Park with one of the best records in the league at 2-1.

The Game

Peter Mullen would get his second start of the season on the mound for the Zookeepers. His last outing came on opening day against the High-Point Thomasville Hi-Toms. Mullen went four innings and gave up a few runs but the Zookeepers eventually won that start. For the Owls, Colton Bryant would get the start for them looking to continue the hot start to the season for the Owls. Both pitchers had base traffic in the first inning but nothing came out of it.

In the second inning, the Zookeepers finally hit their first home run of the season courtesy of Zack Evans.

What initially looked to be a two run home run was just scored a solo shot after Alex Kean was eventually ruled out on a close play at first. After the home run from Evans, the game slowed down for a few minutes as both teams went scoreless in the third inning.

As the game quickly headed for the fourth inning, the Zookeepers momentum was quickly taken away by the Owls. In the fourth, Mullen gave up two walks, a balk and a passed ball. After it was all said and done the Owls scored three runs in the inning on just one hit.

After it seemed like the Zookeepers would run away with it, the Owls decided to do that themselves. As the game progressed along through the middle innings it only got worse for the Zookeepers. From innings 4-6 they gave up a grand total of nine earned runs and scored just one in return.

After six innings the score read 9-2 Owls. Although the game seemed out of reach heading into the latter innings, the Zookeepers did not back down from the fight. In the seventh inning, the Zookeepers score four runs thanks to Owen Blackledge’s second home run of the night and a huge double from Hunter Atkins.

Atkins continues to be one of, if not the hottest hitters in the league. While scoring the four runs was nice it was not enough to mount a comeback. The pitching woes for the Zookeepers were too much to overcome.

After it was all said and done the Zookeepers fell to the Owls by a score of 10-6.

On Wednesday the Zookeepers will have their first off day before they welcome the Florence Flamingos to Asheboro.