ELIZABETHTOWN – The Elizabethtown Cougars exploded for 13 first-inning runs en route to a 21-0 Bladen Five Middle School Conference baseball victory over Tar Heel Thursday.
Jaylin Robinson led off the Cougar first with a walk, and Zach Meares reached base on an error. Pitcher Cody Butler laced a 2-run single to left field, and Brady Hollingsworth slammed a double to right that plated Butler.
Fred Wooten smacked a single to right that scored Hollingsworth. Consecutive walks to J. McKoy, Rasean McKoy and Drew Sholar followed, before Allen Owens belted a 2-run double to rightfield.
Robinson walked, and Meares ripped a run-scoring single to centerfield. Cody Butler and Hollingsworth drew walks, before Wooten raked a run-scoring single to left.
Robinson reached base to begin the second inning and Makhi Cromartie was hit by a pitch. Hollingsworth delivered a run-scoring single, Zachary Butler and Grayson Clark drew walks and Jayson Baxter was hit by a pitch.
Ethan Johnson cracked a run-scoring single, and Robinson hammered a 2-run double to left. Meares smoked a single to right-centerfield to score Robinson with the final run.
Butler picked up the victory as Cougar pitching limited the Panthers to a Jadicus Register walk in the first inning and a Bell single in the second.
Wooten batted a perfect 2-2 with 2 runs batted in and a run scored. Hollingsworth finished 2-3 with a double, 2 rbi’s and 3 runs scored. Meares was 2-4 at the plate with 2 runs scored and 2 rbi’s.
Owens and Robinson swatted 2-run doubles. Cody Butler smashed the 2-run single, and Johnson added an rbi single. Robinson scored 4 times, and Cody Butler scored twice. Cromartie, Clark, Zachary Butler, Baxter, Johnson, Owens, Sholar, Rasean McKoy and J. McKoy scored one run each.