The Forest City Owls, a franchise in their second
year in the Coastal Plain League, defeated the Martinsville Mustangs
5-0 on Wednesday at Hooker Field to win their 43rd game, setting the
single-season record for the most wins in CPL history.

With the historic win, Forest City (43-7, 19-4) won the second half
West Division championship for the first time in franchise history,
eliminating second place Martinsville from contention.

Forest City freshman right-hander Ryan Arrowood (Appalachian State)
pitched the Owls into the record books to win his 10th straight game,
tying Brian Adams for the most victories for a pitcher in CPL history.
Adams won 10 games in the 1999 season for Rocky Mount.

Arrowood (10-0) threw eight shutout innings with six strikeouts and
did not walk a batter in another impressive performance. Arrowood, who
grew up nearby Forest City in Rutherfordton and graduated from R.S.
Central High School, has excelled in his first season in collegiate
summer baseball and ranks as one of the top pitchers in the CPL. He
has struck out 64 batters in 72 innings and has allowed just 15 earned
runs. Arrowood has pitched seven innings or more eight times and has
allowed three runs or less in all ten starts.

The freshman from Appalachian State has been effective all season
against Martinsville. In his three starts against the Mustangs,
Arrowood has thrown a combined 24 innings and has allowed just two
runs with 25 strikeouts.

Forest City closer Robbie Andrews (Virginia Commonwealth) allowed two
hits in the ninth inning, but retired Brad Agustin on a groundout to
shortstop Travis Bass to close the game. Forest City’s players
celebrated at the mound after the 43rd win, surpassing the
Fayetteville SwampDogs win total of 42 in 2007.

Forest City has won all 11 meetings played between the two teams. The
Owls and Mustangs meet for the final time to close the regular season
on August 4th. Martinsville dropped to 17-31 and 10-10 in the second
half. Mustangs rightfielder Ryan LaPensee went 4-4 at the plate with
two doubles to lead an 11-hit attack. The Mustangs left 10 men on base
and failed to score for four straight innings despite having a runner
at second base with less than two outs.

The Owls have been on an impressive run in the 2009 season. Forest
City won their second straight first half West Division championship
on June 22nd and also set a record for the best start in Coastal Plain
League history. The Owls also broke the mark for the most victories in
any half of a season after closing the first half with their 24th win
against Martinsville on June 27th. Forest City was ranked the No. 1
summer collegiate baseball team in the country for four weeks in
Perfect Game Crosschecker’s Top 25 poll. The Owls have been ranked in
the top three in all seven weeks.

Forest City broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning.
Rightfielder Will Skinner (Middle Tennessee State) ripped a leadoff
double to left field, his 20th two-bagger of the season to tie a
Coastal Plain League record. First baseman Konstantine Diamaduros
(Wofford) lined a first-pitch fastball for a single to centerfield to
score Skinner to give the Owls a 1-0 lead. Diamaduros extended his hit
streak to 17 games.

The Owls scored two runs in the fifth inning to take a 3-0 lead.
Designated hitter Marty Gantt (Spartanburg Methodist) drew a leadoff
walk and scored in the inning on a wild pitch. Diamaduros hit a
two-out RBI single to right field to score catcher Cameron McConnell
(Notre Dame) to extend the lead.

Forest City put the game out of reach with a two-run eighth inning.
Diamaduros and second baseman Andrew Ciencin (N.C. State) drew
back-to-back walks to open the inning and each advanced a base on a
wild pitch. Leftfielder Grant Buckner (West Virginia) followed with a
two-run single to left field to give the Owls a 5-0 advantage.

Martinsville right-hander Chris Briere (1-7), a sophomore from
Longwood University, allowed three runs on three hits in five innings
to drop his seventh game of the season.

Forest City will return to McNair Field on Thursday to host the
Asheboro Copperheads at 7:05 p.m.

Alex Kushel

(828) 245-0000