Hampton, VA- A heavy pregame thunderstorm could only delay a night to forget for the Tri-City Chili Peppers Monday night at War Memorial Stadium. The host Peninsula Pilots picked up a 12-2 run rule victory in eight innings, dropping Tri-City (4-6, 16-17) below .500 for the season for the first time this summer. A combination of good luck and clinical hitting piled up 12 runs on 14 hits for the Pilots (7-2, 16-17).
After Sunday’s planned doubleheader between Tri-City and Peninsula was rained out, Monday’s game was threatened again by rain but instead of a cancellation a roughly 30-minute delay ensued. Marcus Goodpaster (Hanover) made the start for the Chili Peppers and faced just one batter over the minimum in the first two innings. A two out solo home run in the second inning by Chris Martinez (University of Science and Art Oklahoma) was the only run Goodpaster allowed until the third inning. Five runs came in on six hits, most the result of good placement rather than power. A misplay on a pop up to shallow right field that should have produced out #2 may have changed the outcome of the inning especially after an RBI suicide squeeze bunt immediately following that mistake added to the lead.
The Pilots led 6-0 before the Chili Peppers cut into the lead in the fourth on a two-out single by Danny Estrada (Frostburg State). That single made it a 6-1 game and also extended a hitting streak to eight games for Estrada. Both teams exchanged runs in the next two half-innings with Michael Dolberry (Longwood) coming in to score on a wild pitch. That was all the Chili Peppers would get out of a bases loaded situation in the top of the 5th, leaving the inning trailing 7-2.
Tri-City was held off the scoreboard the rest of the way with the winning run coming in to score for Peninsula with two outs in the eighth inning on ground ball hit off of the pitcher, producing the 12-2 final score.
A welcome break awaits the Chili Peppers as the CPL All-Star show takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week before regular season play resumes for the Chili Peppers this Friday.
Official Box Score: Peninsula Pilots vs. Tri-City Chili Peppers – Coastal Plain League – boxscore | Pointstreak Sports Technologies
Upcoming Games:
Friday, July 21 (7:00) vs Martinsville Mustangs, Small Business Night
Saturday, July 22 (7:00) vs. Virginia Beach Sea Dogs (SS), Beach n’ Baseball Night
Saturday, July 22 (7:00) @ Martinsville Mustangs (SS)
Wednesday, July 26 (7:00) vs. Peninsula Pilots, Waggin’ Wednesday
Thursday, July 27 (7:00) @ Peninsula Pilots, Listen on Mixlr