RedWolves edge Tobs with late-inning heroics

FLORENCE — Leading 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Wilson’s Taylor Miller needed one more out to shut down Florence as he had since the first inning.

That out never came. Cody Stinger launched a two-run homer to spark a three-run rally that gave Florence a 6-4 victory over the Tobs on Thursday night at Legion Field.

“Our guys were grinding it out all night,” Florence coach Wes Davis said. “That’s what good teams do. They battle until they get their opportunities.”

After getting two quick outs to start the inning, Miller gave up a single to Jared Barkdoll that extended the frame. Stinger then stepped to the plate, and lifted a high fly ball to left field.

Left fielder Jared Richmond looked like he might have a play, but the ball skimmed over the fence just past his reach for the eventual game-winner.

“One of our guys called a home run,” RedWolves pitcher Bobby Doran said. “I got a little scared when (Wilson’s) left fielder jumped at the wall, but I knew it was gone.”

“Barkdoll and I looked at each other in the on-deck circle and said ‘Me and you’”, Stinger said. “I saw (Miller) was throwing first-pitch fastballs all night.

“I was sitting dead red, got a fastball and I knew it was gone.”

Miller (0-2) was chased later in the eighth when Justin Beal singled home Keegan Morrow to extend the RedWolves’ lead to 6-4.

Stinger’s heroics made a winner of Doran (2-2), who gave up four runs on eight hits in eight innings. He walked one batter and fanned four.

“I just tried to keep my team in the game and give them a chance to win,” Doran said. “With the way we were hitting the ball in (the middle innings), I couldn’t give up any more runs.”

“Bobby’s had some tough luck against him this year,” Davis said. “Tonight, he really battled and showed his heart on the mound. He was phenomenal.”

Florence (15-3) got to Miller in the first inning, scoring two runs before an out was recorded. Blake Walker opened the scoring with an RBI single to right-center that scored Andrew Guerra for a 1-0 advantage. Myckie Lugbauer followed with an RBI single to up the lead to 2-0.

After Barkdoll laid down a sacrifice bunt, Stinger plated Herman Petzold with a sacrifice fly to give his team a 3-0 lead.

But Miller settled down, quieting the RedWolves’ bats for the next five innings, striking out the side twice during his run. The right-hander finished with 11 strikeouts and five earned runs allowed in 7 2/3 innings.

Wilson (8-10) tried to return the favor in the third against Doran. With two men on and no one out, Nick Hogan drove home Kevin Weidenbacher with a bunt single to slice the deficit to 3-1.

Another RBI infield hit, this one from Justin Parks, cut the Florence lead to 3-2. Cody Hawn made the deficit disappear with an RBI single to right to plate Hogan and tie the contest at 3.

Chris Henderson gave Wilson a 4-3 lead with an RBI groundout that capped the Tobs’ rally.

The Tobs had one final chance to get some runs in the ninth inning. However, with a runner on third, Tio McLean threw out Hogan at first to end the game and record his third save in as many opportunities.