ZooKeepers fall short of reaching playoffs

Nick O’Brien of the Asheboro ZooKeepers slides into second base during the team’s home finale last week. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro ZooKeepers were left out of the Coastal Plain League playoffs even with a revamped postseason structure for the summer collegiate baseball circuit.

A season-ending three-game losing streak doomed the ZooKeepers, who finished the season with a 24-24 record in CPL play.

That was good for fourth place in the eight-team West Division. The top three teams qualified for the playoffs.

Asheboro finished two games behind the third-place Boone Bigfoots (26-22). The Forest City Owls won the division with a 31-15 record, followed by the Lexington County Blowfish at 27-18.

The ZooKeepers lost four of five games in the final week of the season, beginning when they failed to protect an early five-run lead in a 9-7 road loss to the Martinsville Mustangs despite Rylen Stockton’s two doubles and four runs batted in.

After a 3-2 triumph against the High Point-Thomasville HiToms, Asheboro couldn’t keep it going. The ZooKeepers scored all their runs on Davis Germann’s two-out double in the first inning and Billy Rozakis pitched six innings for the victory while allowing two runs.

There was last Thursday night’s 7-6 loss at the Holly Springs Salamanders, when a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning wasn’t enough. Seojun Oh knocked in three runs and Ryan Albin scored three runs for Asheboro.

The next night, the ZooKeepers dropped their home finale to Forest City by 3-2 despite an early two-run edge and starting pitcher Hiroyuki Yamada going seven innings and giving up two runs. The Owls broke a ninth-inning tie in a result that officially bumped Asheboro out of playoff contention.

Then came Saturday night’s 11-5 setback to the HiToms at Finch Field. Asheboro scored three of its runs on Germann’s first-inning home run. Krisitian Amaro later hit a solo homer in just his second game with the team.

Across the season, Yariel Diaz batted .344 in 35 games and Jake Griffith checked in a .331 in 33 games to lead Asheboro’s batters. Oh’s 41 runs batted in were a top mark on the team. No pitcher picked up more than two victories.

A year ago, the ZooKeepers won their final seven games to post a 27-20 CPL record.