ZooKeepers Notch Third Win In A Row
The Asheboro ZooKeepers continued their mini homestand by welcoming in division rival High Point-Thomasville.
The last time the ZooKeepers and HiToms met was in High Point with the HiToms winning that game handely.
As for the ZooKeepers they were coming off of yet another victory in Boone against the Bigfoots.
On the mound for the ZooKeepers was Owen Simmons who to this point has been one of the best pitchers on the roster.
On the other side, Will Papciak was the pitcher for the Hi-Toms and was coming off two phenomenal starts.
The Game
Both pitchers showed their worth in the first two innings by leaving just five runners on base between the two teams.
The third inning is where all of the action picked up.
In the top of the third inning Simmons got into a little bit of trouble.
A walk and a single by the Hi-Toms gave them two men on base and despite not scoring with runners on earlier in the game, this time they capitalized.
Sam Dansky for the Hi-Toms rocketed a ball up the middle to give the Hi-Toms a 1-0 lead.
Right after that at bat Jackson Owen stepped up and gave the Hi-Toms yet another run.
Simmons threw a ball into the back stop and Brantley Willis scored standing up.
The ZooKeepers now trailed 2-0 but that did not stop their offensive aggressiveness.
After newcomer Devon Parks walked to start the inning he stole not one but two bases to put himself into scoring position.
ZooKeepers right fielder Owen Blackledge stepped up and took a ball right past him that allowed Parks to trot across the plate easily.
That would be the only run the ZooKeepers scored in the inning but not of the game.
The next inning and change went by very quickly with great pitching from both Simmons and Papciak.
It wasn’t until the fifth inning where the fireworks really started to happen.
Papciak was taken out of the game after a pair of walks to start the half inning.
Papciak was replaced by Jacob Kirby who made the already sticky situation even stickier.
Parks roped a ball into the outfield to drive across Owen Fuller and tie the game at two.
That was not the end of the party in the half inning as more runs would score.
Soon after the single Nick O’Brien scored on a wild pitch and eventually Parks would be driven in on a fielders choice hit by Ryan Kennell.
Three runs in the half inning gave the ZooKeepers a two run lead going into the late stages.
Simmons would be replaced in the sixth inning by Noah Samol.
Samol produced several shut down innings that pushed the ZooKeepers that much closer to victory.
In the eighth the ZooKeepers tacked on an insurance run when first baseman James Hankerson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The scoreboard read 5-2 ZooKeepers heading into the ninth inning.
Samol came back out in the ninth and did what he does best, slam the door shut.
Wrap Up
Between Samol and Simmons they combined to strikeout 13 Hi-Toms hitters, therefore 48% of the outs came via a strikeout.
A 5-2 victory gave the ZooKeepers their third win in a row.
Monday the team gets an off day before starting a seven game stretch on Tuesday against the Holly Springs Salamanders.
You can buy tickets online on the ZooKeepers website, buy them at the box office at McCrary park or watch live on FloSports if you are unable to attend.
First pitch is scheduled for 7pm.