Colonial Heights, VA - In their final game of the year, the Tri-City Chili Peppers' alter ego the Chilly Peppers fell 9-4 to the Boone Big Foots.
Ryan Delorbe (University of New Orleans) started on the mound for the Chilly Peppers. The team had a tough start, with a reach on error followed by a hit by pitch. A putout brought in the first run.
Hunter Gilliam (University of Kentucky) hit a double in the inning, and UNC's Brandon Eike's putout scored Gilliam to even the score.
The Big Foots had no hits or runs in the top of the second. Tri City had one hit in the second, but failed to score, maintaining the 1-1 score.
The third inning began with a walk. A single and two stolen bases brought in the walked batter for a Boone run. The Chilly Peppers batted three up, three down in the bottom of the inning.
Saturday's matchup continued moving quickly, with the Big Foots failing to put up any hits or runs in the fourth. Tri City batted three up, three down to end the inning.
University of New Mexico's Terrell Hudson took the hill in the fifth. Three hits, an error, and a wild pitch allowed Boone to put up three runs for a 5-1 lead. The Chilly Peppers failed to put up any hits or runs in the fifth.
Lyle Holland (Randolph Macon College) pitched in the sixth. A reach on error, a single, and a walk loaded the bases for the Big Foots. A wild pitch brought in a run. Once again, Tri City had no hits or runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Chilly Peppers had another pitching change in the top of the seventh to Jamie Kotula of Mary Washington. The team caught a Boone runner stealing and turned a double play to end the half inning. Tri City had no hits or runs in the seventh inning.
Tim Hart (Hampden Sydney) took the mound in the eighth. Hart allowed only one hit, but this one hit, a hit by pitch, and a pass ball allowed two more Big Foot runs to score. The Chilly Peppers batted three up, three down to end the inning.
Morehead State's Branden Blankenship pitched the final inning for Tri City. A walked batter stole second and third and was able to score on a wild pitch. Boone kept the bats moving with a double but were unable to score again.
Gilliam walked in the bottom of the inning, and Eike hit a single. Another single by Avery Neaves (University of Lynchburg) brought Gilliam around the bases. A reach on error loaded the bases and a walk scored another run. Another run was walked in for the final run of the game. The Chilly Peppers lost 9-4.
...
Morehead City, NC - The Tri-City Chili Peppers mercy ruled the Morehead City Marlins 14-1 in their final game of the season.
The Chili Peppers batted three up, three down to start the game. Zach Potts (University of Lynchburg) was the starting pitcher for Tri City and allowed one hit in the first inning but prevented the Marlins from scoring.
Tri City failed to get the bats moving in the top of the second, batting three up, three down again. Luckily for them, Morehead City had no hits or runs in the second inning.
Clark Driscoll (VMI commit) had the first Chili Peppers hit of the night in the top of the third. A double by Kasten Furr (University of New Orleans) brought in a run of a batter who reached on an error earlier in the inning. A putout by Ethan Iannuzzi (Randolph Macon College) scored Driscoll. The bats kept moving, and a double by Virginia Tech's Cade Swisher scored Furr to give the Chili Peppers a 3-0 lead. The Marlins didn't put up any hits or runs in the bottom of the inning.
Kyle Jenkins (Mars Hill), Kenny Mallory Jr (Elon), and Lucas Donlon (Virginia Tech) hit back to back to back singles in the fourth inning. Jenkins scored and a reach on error by Driscoll scored Mallory Jr. Furr continued to be a dominant offensive force in Saturday's game, with another double that scored Donlon and Driscoll for a 7-0 Tri City lead. Morehead City's offense continued to struggle as they batted three up, three down for a quick end to the fourth inning.
Longwood's Michael Dolberry hit a double for the only Chili Peppers hit of the fifth. The Marlins had two hits in the bottom of the inning, but remained scoreless.
Three consecutive walks loaded the bases for Tri City in the top of the sixth, and a single by Swisher brought in three runs. A drop third strike with the next batter faced brought in another run for an 11-0 Chili Peppers lead.
After five innings at the mound, Potts was replaced by Pablo Veras (Thomas Nelson Community College) in the bottom of the sixth. Two batters got on base with a walk and a single, and a wild pitch brought in the first Marlins run of the game.
The Chili Peppers had no hits or runs in the seventh inning and neither did the Marlins. Morehead City's defense struggled in the eighth. A walk, a hit by pitch, and an error allowed two Tri City runs to score. A double by Greg Ryan (Longwood University) brought in another run for a 14-1 Chili Peppers lead.
Gordon State College's Thomas Greeson pitched in the bottom of the eighth. He allowed one hit and no runs to secure a 14-1 mercy rule win for the Chili Peppers.