Blowfish Win Coastal Plain League Championship

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.(BlowfishBaseball.com) — The Columbia Blowfish defeated the Fayetteville SwampDogs 8-3 Tuesday night to win their first ever Coastal Plain League Petitt Cup Championship. In what has been a magical season for the Blowfish, they ended the season with a dog pile on top of the pitchers mound celebrating the first championship in team history. The Blowfish ended the season with a 38-24 record. The Blowfish started slowly but blew the game open with a seven run fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Gabe Loweree led the inning off with a double to left and then scored on a Tre-Von Johnson single up the middle. Zach Smith then singled down the left field line to advance Johnson to third. Johnson was then thrown out at home on a ground ball hit to second by Daniel Torres. Jarrod Reed then tripled to right to score Torres and Smith to give the Blowfish a 3-0 lead. After Reed tripled Federico Castagnini singled up the middle to give the Blowfish a 4-0 lead. Michael Wilson then singled to left and Graham Saiko followed with a three run blast over the left field fence to cap the seven run inning. The Blowfish got an excellent outing on the mound from right-hander Stuart Pound. Pound went six innings allowing just one hit and striking out seven to get the win for the Blowfish. Pound was dominant throughout the evening in his final outing for the Blowfish. Griffin Jones relieved Pound and did not record an out in the seventh. He allowed three runs on one hit while walking two. The SwampDogs scored those three runs to cut the Blowfish lead to 8-3 after the Blowfish added a run in the fifth when Wilson reached on a fielder’s choice to score Torres. Connor Sullivan then came on to shut the door on the SwampDogs he finished the seventh not allowing a run or a hit. Jeff Kinley then pitched a perfect eighth forcing three groundouts. Chase Rhitarchik then pitched the final inning for the Blowfish on the season, Rhitarchik allowed no runs and no hits to preserve the victory. Jimmie Davis took the loss for the SwampDogs going a third of an inning and giving up four runs on four hits. Max McDonald started on the mound for Fayetteville going just three innings allowing two runs on three hits. Tyler Brunnemann the SwampDogs closer went the final five and two thirds allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four.