Corey Shaylor led all players with three hits in the Niners 23rd comeback win of the season. |
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Lightning Strikes Twice (Literally) in Charlotte's Second Straight Comeback Win, 8-7 over Richmond
May 9, 2008
Charlotte, N.C. - The Charlotte 49ers won their second straight comeback win with runs in the seventh and eighth innings to defeat Richmond 8-7 for the second straight night Friday at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium. A pair of lightning delays held the game off for two hours, as the final out was recorded at 11:20 p.m. Charlotte keeps its Atlantic 10 Conference lead with a 16-7 mark, 36-13 overall. The Spiders drop to 19-27-2 overall, with a 9-13-1 league mark.
Both teams scored one in the first and two in the second, with Charlotte taking a brief lead of 4-3 after an RBI single by center fielder Cory Tilton.
Richmond tied the game in the fifth on Ryan Metzrath's solo homer to right center on the first pitch back from the first delay from Charlotte starter Zach Rosenbaum.
The Spiders put up three runs in the sixth before the second delay on a walk, an error and pair of hits, including an RBI infield single by Mike Mergenthaler.
The second delay came with multiple lightning strikes and lasted over an hour and a half before play resumed in the bottom of the sixth.
When the game resumed, the Niners scored a pair of runs on back-to-back RBI hits by Rob Lyerly and Chris Taylor. Taylor's RBI was number 201 for his career.
Corey Shaylor hit a leadoff single in the seventh, stole second and eventually scored on Tilton's second RBI of the game.
Taylor scored what proved to be the winning run with two outs on Shaylor's lone RBI of the night, a single to right field.
The Spiders got the bases loaded against closer Bryan Hamilton in the top of the ninth, but a ground ball by Evan Stehle was snagged on the run by Shaylor, who flipped behind his back to shortstop Shayne Moody at second for the game's final exciting out.
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Charlotte has come back to win 23 times this season, twice in two nights against Richmond.
Shaylor led all players with three hits, with Tilton's pair of RBI leading the Charlotte charge.
Hamilton got the win in relief. He allowed a hit and a walk in two innings, striking out three to improve his record to 4-2.
Josh Horn took the loss for the second straight night for Richmond. In one-third of an inning, he allowed three hits and the game-winning run.
The two teams will play the series finale Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. Some Charlotte seniors will receive diplomas in the morning before playing as graduates of the school in the afternoon contest.
