In Kingsmen Baseball’s first game back from their Alaska trip, they squared off against the Carolina Disco Turkeys at David Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, the home turf of Wake Forest. From the early onset, Kingsmen starting pitcher Caleb Cox was dealing.
In the bottom of the first, the lefty from North Greenville picked up a couple of strikeouts while working around two singles and some rainy weather to finish the frame unscathed. Cox was able to carry the momentum he had to end the first throughout the rest of his excellent start. However, the Kingsmen ace found himself searching for a little run support to back up his effort on the mound.
The Kingsmen’s bats, much like in their previous series against the Goldpanners, were able to get on base but struggled to push runners across the plate in the first few innings of Friday night’s matchup. Playing on slick turf, Kingsmen baserunners slid past the bag on several occasions that spelled the end for multiple promising innings. It wasn’t until the top of the sixth that the bats finally broke the ice.
Cam Troyer led off the inning with a solo home run that just snuck over the 310 foot sign in left field to give the Kingsmen a 1-0 advantage. Though Bryce Frederick followed the blast with a single and stolen base, the Kingsmen were unable to add on as Frederick was picked off at second to end the inning.
With Cox nearing his pitch limit, he took the mound in the bottom of the inning and emptied the tank. In the sixth, he allowed a walk and a hit but no runs to score, ending an outing where he hurled six innings of shutout baseball while striking out eight Disco Turkeys.
The Kingsmen added one in the seventh following a couple of walks, a hit batsman, and a wild pitch to take a 2-0 lead. However, reliever Mikah Conner struggled with his command in the bottom half of the inning as the Disco Turkeys roared back to tie the game on a run-scoring passed ball and an RBI triple. Nick George would come in to finish the inning, but the damage was already done as the Kingsmen and Disco Turkeys were knotted up at two heading into the eighth.
After a Nick Solorzano walk to lead off the inning, first baseman Blake Bevis launched a two-run home run to put the Kingsmen back in front, 4-2. George came back out to start the eighth and punched out the side after walking the first batter of the inning. The Kingsmen entered the ninth with a two run lead, but it wouldn’t be long before they added some insurance.
Troyer led off the inning with his second home run of the game to deep left center field to give the Kingsmen a 5-2 lead. With a runner on, Bevis followed Troyer’s lead and crushed his second home run, this one a no-doubter that took off into the trees in left field. The Kingsmen would add a few more runs in the inning after four walks, a hit, and a Disco Turkey error to put the once tight game out of reach.
George remained in the game and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to secure the 10-2 victory. The win breaks a four game losing streak for the Kingsmen who moved to 5-4 on the summer. Tomorrow, the team will travel to Albemarle, North Carolina to take on the Uwharrie Wampus Cats in what will be the first of three meetings between the clubs.
Stay tuned for more Kingsmen Baseball news and updates throughout the summer.
Cam Troyer and Blake Bevis Postgame Interview:
Coach Joe Hudak Postgame Interview:
