BY ZACH KEPLEY

THE THOMASVILLE TIMES

THOMASVILLE – How much heartbreak can one team take?

For the fourth consecutive game, the HiToms lost a one-run decision, falling to the Forest City Owls 10-9 on Sunday at Finch Field in a 13-inning marathon. The loss drops the struggling Tommies to 5-16 while the Owls maintain the top spot in the Coastal Plain League Western Division at 15-6.

“I am proud of the way they played tonight,” said the skipper of the HiToms, Tom Dorzweiler. “We could have gotten down a couple of times and let the game get away, but they rose and fought. I could not have asked for more out of them.”

Konstantine Diamaduros and Will Skinner combined to be the heroes of the game, working together for the game-winner in the 13th. Skinner reached on an infield single, then stole second to get in scoring position. Down in the count, Diamaduros laced an RBI single to left off reliever Nick Blount, driving in Skinner to help Forest City forge ahead for the victory.

Kyle Grieshaber gave the HiToms hope in the bottom of the 13th by walking, but would later be thrown out attempting to steal second. With two outs and nobody on, Forest City’s Nate Hyatt struck out Ben Grisz to end the game, which started around 5:35 p.m. and did not end until 10:30.

Dorzweiler did his best after the game to keep the team morale up, as not much is going right for the Tommies these days.

“I just told them not to get down,” he said. “It is a tough loss and it is easy to get down on yourself, but we kept fighting and we just need to keep moving forward.”

The HiToms will host the Martinsville Mustangs today at 7 p.m.