Greenville, N.C. – The Yard Gnomes (17-24) edged the Peninsula Pilots (27-14) in dramatic walk-off fashion Friday night at Guy Smith Stadium, sealing a 6-5 victory. Michael Kalinich led the way with two hits and two RBI, while Charlie Kapp delivered the game-winning moment.
Greenville struck first in the opening frame as Jesse Ponce scored on a Kalinich single to right. In the fourth, David Lillis extended the lead to 2-0 with a solo home run to right-center.
The Pilots responded in the fifth when Isaiah Shivers came home on a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one. They tied it in the seventh on a solo home run to right by Grayson Fitzwater.
The Gnomes roared back in the bottom of the seventh. Jesse Ponce delivered a two-run single that scored Luke Miller and Josh Mason, and Kalinich followed with a double to bring in Ponce, putting Greenville ahead 5-2.
But Peninsula refused to go quietly. In the eighth, Shivers scored on a groundout, Carlos Pena crossed the plate on a single by David Stokely, and an error allowed Fitzwater to score and tie the game at 5-5.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Yard Gnomes loaded the bases after back-to-back singles by Danny Ramirez and Lillis, followed by a walk to Chance Hall. With two outs and a 2-2 count, Charlie Kapp hit a grounder to third that was mishandled, allowing Ramirez to score the winning run.
Preston Chaudoin earned the win for Greenville, tossing 1.1 hitless innings with two strikeouts. Olvis Genao took the loss for Peninsula, giving up one unearned run in two-thirds of an inning.
Up Next: The Yard Gnomes travel to Hampton, Va., for a rematch with the Pilots on Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.