SOCCER
Lionsbridge came from behind in the second half Saturday night for perhaps its most important victory of the USL League Two season.
The Lions delighted their fans at Christopher Newport’s TowneBank Stadium with a 3-2 triumph over Baltimore’s Christos FC in a clash of two of the three teams fighting for the Chesapeake Division championship.
Lionsbridge improved to 7-2-1 in the division, the same record as Northern Virginia FC. NOVA beat Virginia Beach United 1-0 with a second-half goal Saturday night.
Christos (6-3-2) fell two points behind the division co-leaders and needs a win in its finale nesxt Saturday against NOVA to have an outside chance at the title.
Given its major advantage on goal differential against NOVA (plus-15 to plus-5), Lionsbridge is all but certain to repeat as the division champ via that tiebreaker if it wins its final two matches. One and perhaps two teams from the division will qualify for the USL playoffs.
Taylor Calheira scored in the 28th minute, putting Christos ahead. But the visitors’ Jordan Travers got a red card for a dangerous tackle in the 41st, helping open the door for Davide Materazzi’s tying header of an Andrew Bennett corner kick in the 45th minute. The header goal meant fans in attendance could get free chicken.
With Christos down a man, Calheira opened the second-half scoring off a restart in the 46th minute. The visitors’ 2-1 lead held until New Zealander Lockie Fay netted the tying goal in the 72nd minute. Tai-Reece Chisholm gained an assist.
Team captain Sam Hall then put in the eventual winning goal in the 75th minute off a Matty Cornish cross.
The Lions (8-2-3 overall) will go to Maryland to face Patuxent Football Athletics on Wednesday before returning home Saturday to face the Virginia Marauders of Winchester.
BASEBALL
Tobs halt Pilots’ winning streak at six
The Peninsula Pilots’ winning streak ended at six games with an 8-3 defeat Saturday night to the Wilson Tobs in North Carolina.
The Pilots (12-16 overall), who produced as many wins on the streak as they had during a 6-15 start, fell to 3-1 in the Coastal Plain League’s second half.
Wilson went ahead 3-0 with a three-run second inning. An error, Brian Fry’s RBI double and Rafe Perich’s sacrifice fly brought in the runs.
The Pilots answered in the top of the fifth when Cole Stanford scored as Mason Dunaway walked with the bases loaded, but Matthew Cooper’s solo homer in the bottom of the fifth gave the Tobs (16-11) a 4-1 edge.
Shortly after that, lightning prompted a delay.
The Pilots cut the deficit to 4-3 after the bad weather cleared, with Trey Morgan scoring in the seventh and doubling home Aaron Manias in the eighth.
But the Tobs all but sealed the victory with a four-run eighth. A walk and hit batsman preceded Fry’s RBI single. A balk, a wild pitch and Cooper’s infield single added to the scoring.
Morgan batted 3 for 4, while teammates Ryan Dooley and Justin Starke had two hits apiece.
Wilson starter Cam Edmondson gained the win, holding the Pilots to one run on six hits in five innings.
Because of the All-Star break, the Pilots won’t play again until Wednesday’s 7 p.m. game against the Tri-City Chili Peppers at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton.
