Danny Abell carries a hot bat when men are in scoring position. Abell hit a home run and had 3 RBIs in Sunday's win over Sanford
Willing and Abell: Red Springs Clobbers Sanford Again
Danny Abell's Clutch Hits, Dan McSwain's Pitching Gem Lift Red Robins to Series Sweep
By Chase Murphy | The Robesonian Summer Intern | Sunday, July 13, 2025
The race is on for the first Tobacco State League pennant, and Red Springs finds itself right in the thick of the action.
The Red Robins battered Sanford for the third day in a row, drilling the Spinners 7-1 on Sunday.
Mike Tyler hit a three-run homer. Danny Abell finished 2-for-3 with another moon shot.
Ken Rogers and
Justin Stubbs each tripled and drove home runs. And best of all, ace pitcher
Dan McSwain bumped his league-leading record to 8-0 with another gem from the hill.
McSwain gave up an early run but otherwise kept Sanford’s bats eerily quiet. The Spinners went 0-for-12 in the first three spots in the order and 2-for-20 over the first five.
Andy Jensrud, arguably the best player in the league (he was the No. 1 draft pick), went 0-for-4 with two Ks.
Abell has a pedestrian batting average overall at .261 compared to league leaders. But he locks in when Red Springs teammates get into scoring position. Abell batted home three runs on Sunday, boasting his season tally to 23.
Over the three-game series, Red Springs outscored Sanford 20-4. The Robins latest victory – combined with Whiteville’s 3-2 win over Angier-Fuquay Springs – left things crowded at the top. Red Springs, Sanford and Whiteville all have 26-19 records. The regular season chase may come down to a photo finish.
Tobacco State League Scoreboard | Sunday, July 13
Red Springs 7, Sanford 1
Clinton 4, Warsaw 2
Smithfield-Selma 10, Rockingham 1
Lumberton 8, Dunn-Erwin 4
Whiteville 3, Angier-Fuquay Springs 2
Tobacco State League Standings after 7/13
Red Springs 26-19
Sanford 26-19
Whiteville 26-19
Warsaw 24-21
Clinton 23-22
Lumberton 23-22
Angier-Fuquay Springs 21-24
Smithfield-Selma 19-26
Dunn-Erwin 19-26
Rockingham 18-27
What’s Left for Red Springs
July 14-16: at Smithfield-Selma
July 17-19: Clinton
July 20-22: at Angier-Fuquay Springs
Be sure to read
The Robesonian in the days ahead to follow Red Springs' chase for the TSL pennant!