Thomasville, N.C. – The Greenville Yard Gnomes fell to the HiToms in heartbreaking fashion after a late-inning rally and an extended rain delay. The HiToms overcame a two-run deficit in the eighth to win 6-5 on Monday night.
Greenville struck first as Jacob Green blasted a solo home run on just the second pitch of the game, giving the Gnomes an early 1-0 lead.
The HiToms responded in the bottom of the third when Noah Quarless roped a double to left, bringing in Blake Gaffney to tie the game at 1-1.
The Gnomes regained the lead in the fourth as Jon Howard drove a single to center, scoring Joe Whitaker to put Greenville back on top, 2-1.
After a scoreless fifth, play was suspended in the top of the sixth due to heavy rain, resulting in a delay of over two and a half hours.
Following the delay, Greenville extended its lead in the sixth. Jesse Ponce ripped a double that scored Corey Berry and Whitaker to make it 4-1. However, the HiToms quickly answered with a pair of runs. Ty Hubbard knocked in Tyler Steele with a double, and Tate Siemans scored on a wild pitch to trim the Gnomes’ lead to 4-3.
In the top of the eighth, Whitaker added insurance with a solo home run, pushing the lead to 5-3. But the HiToms mounted their comeback in the bottom half of the inning. Trey Bentley drove in Steele with a single before a costly Greenville error allowed Bentley and Landon Peavy to score, giving the HiToms their first lead of the night, 6-5.
Ross Fowler earned the win for the HiToms, pitching two innings and allowing just one earned run while striking out three. Matthew McCray took the loss for Greenville, surrendering three runs (one earned) on four hits in one inning of relief.
Up Next: The Yard Gnomes return to Guy Smith Stadium for a matchup against the Tri-City Chili Peppers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.