Blowfish Blown Out On Opening Night

FOREST CITY, N.C. — On a balmy evening in Forest City, North Carolina, the 2014 Coastal Plain League campaign for the Columbia Blowfish and the Forest City Owls got underway with a 7:34 p.m. first pitch at McNair Field. Offensive fireworks were the story early on for the home team, as the Owls struck early and often in the bottom half of the first inning. Consecutive hits to lead off the inning by Maleeke Gibson (Clemson) and Joey Hawkins (Missouri State) got things going, and 10 batters later the Owls owned a 7-0 lead. The Owls, sporting that big lead after one inning of play, turned things back over to Nick Neitzel on the mound. Nietzel, a junior hurler from Davidson College, did not allow a hit in five innings of work before leaving the game prior to the sixth inning. Offensively, the pace of the game slowed down considerably over the rest of the game. Hunter Bryant, a 6-4 junior first baseman from UNC Asheville, put a solo shot over the monster in left field for the Owls that pushed the lead out to 9-0. That would be the final score of the contest as the Forest City Owls defeated the Columbia Blowfish on Opening Night in Coastal Plain League action. Neitzel (1-0) picked up the win for the Owls, going five strong without allowing a hit. Gray College’s Stuart Pound took the loss (0-1) on the bump, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits in one-third of an inning. The Blowfish get their 2014 home campaign started with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch against the Gastonia Grizzlies tonight, Wednesday May 28th, at Historic Capital City Stadium. It will be a “Think Pink” theme, as fans are encouraged to wear pink in the awareness for the fight against Breast Cancer. There will also be a special Pink fireworks show! The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 17th season in 2013, the CPL features 14 teams playing North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. Furthermore, the CPL has had over 1,000 alumni drafted and 62 alums – including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander – make their Major League debut thus far. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com and follow us via Twitter @CPLBaseball.