The High Point-Thomasville HiToms (12-9) were bested in two seven-inning games on Saturday night in Forest City. The Forest City Owls (10-12) used timely hitting and a balanced approach at the plate to beat the HiToms for the first two times in their season.

Game one was a back-and-forth affair with offensive fireworks on both ends. HP-T fell down in the third, 2-0 but responded right away. In the top of the fourth, CJ Johnson doubled Noah Ledford to third with one out. Needing contact to score a run, Cole Simpson provided a groundball to second, bringing the first run of the game home for High Point-Thomasville.

The HP-T offense got fired up in the fifth, still down a run. Thomas Caufield and Luke Spiva singled, putting the go-ahead run on base for the reigning CPL Hitter of the Year, Hogan Windish. Windish was calm and cool under pressure, clubbing his league-leading seventh home run of the year to give the HiToms a 4-2 lead. Windish finished the doubleheader 5-7 with a double and a home run.

Unfortunately for HP-T, the lead was short-lived. Forest City brought six home in the fifth to take a commanding 8-4 lead.

The HiToms put up a fight in the late innings, scoring on a Chet Sikes groundout and CJ Johnson double, but Nick Loftis of Forest City closed the game successfully, earning his first save of the season.

In game two, HP-T struggled to put runs on the board against Tom Chmielewski, in his first start since a complete game shutout versus Martinsville. Chmielewski pitched six strong innings, allowing just one run, on CJ Johnson’s fourth home run of the year. KB Peralta and Ellis Stokes both doubled, but the HiToms were not able to bring them home. The HiToms pitched admirably, allowing just six hits, but allowed four runs in a 4-1 loss.

The HiToms return home for a matchup against the red-hot Asheboro Copperheads on Sunday. The Thomasville Fire Department and Police Department play in a charity softball game at 3:00 p.m. followed by the HiToms and Copperheads.