By David Rogers. THOMASVILLE, N.C. — Trey Sanders pitched five shutout innings and leadoff batter Tyler Martin displayed both power and speed on June 27, leading the Boone Bigfoots to a 4-2 road win over the High Point-Thomasville HiToms at Finch Field. The victory extended the Bigfoots’ win streak to five games, preserved their Coastal Plains League West Division tie with Martinsville for No. 4 in the standings, and pulled them within just three games of the league-leading Forest City Owls.
Credited as the winning pitcher, Sanders allowed just three hits and three walks while striking out seven HiToms batters in five innings of work on the mound and was efficient in facing just 21 batters. Of his 83 pitches, 48 were strikes. He worked 3-up, 3-down frames in the first and third innings, and worked out of jam in the fifth inning with runners at 2nd and 3rd by striking out the No. 3 hitter in the HPT batting order to quell the threat.
Leadoff hitters are most apt to get on base and led the power hitters in the heart of the batting order drive them home. Martin pooh-poohed that notion by crushing a home run as the first batter in the bottom of the 5th inning — and the first batter faced by HPT’s reliever Kobie Cushing, who ignored the rude greeting and got through the rest of the inning without additional damage.
Martin’s speed on the basepaths was also critical to the Bigfoots’ scoring to open the game. After being issued a walk to leadoff the first inning, Martin stole second to put himself in scoring position, enabling Boone to capitalize when BBF third baseman Payton Basler smacked a double to the fence.
Boone added more single-run frames in the 4th (Brady Sullivan scored on consecutive wild pitches), 5th (Martin HR), and 8th (2-out RBI single by Samuel Weinstein) innings.
KEY PERFORMERS
Boone Bigfoots
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- Trey Sanders – 5 innings pitched, 0 runs on 3 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
- Tyler Martin – 1-4, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, HR, 2 stolen bases
- Payton Basler – 1-4, 1 RBI, double
- Brady Sullivan – 0-3, 1 run scored, walk
- Tyler Renn – 1-3, 1 run scored, hit by pitch
High Point-Thomasville HiToms
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- Trey Bentley – 2-4, 1 RBI, sacrifice fly, stolen base
- Yates Sikes – 1-3, 1 RBI, 2 walks, stolen base
- Blaize Johnson – 1-2, 2 walks, stolen base
- JJ Parsons – 0-2, 1 run scored, 2 walks
- Max Perry – 0-2, 1 run scored, 2 walks
