ELIZABETHTOWN — Sophomore Gabriel Priest and senior Grayson Creech combined on a 4-hitter and struck out 7 batters as they led Whiteville to a 10-3 Waccamaw Conference baseball victory over East Bladen Friday night.
East Bladen finishes 8-4 in Waccamaw play and is now 11-10 overall. The Eagles will host Clinton Monday night in non-conference action. Whiteville is unbeaten in the Waccamaw at 10-0 and is 17-1 overall.
Priest, a southpaw, started on the hill and pitched 5 innings allowing 2 runs – 1 earned – on 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 6. Creech worked 2 innings of relief and allowed a run on 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 1.
JT Todd doubled in the Wolfpack 1st inning and scored on Ashton Hammonds’ sacrifice fly. The Eagles tied it in the 2nd. Parker Greene smoked a single to center field. Freshman Jayce Hatcher walked, and senior Lee Barnes was hit by a pitch. Senior Tyler Johnson’s fielder’s choice scored Aiden Hargrove, the courtesy runner for Greene.
Luke Odham led off the 3rd with a single and scored as Todd reached base on an error. Hammonds walked, and Matthew Hannah pulled a double to left that scored Todd. Hammonds scored on a wild pitch to push the Wolfpack lead to 4-1.
Whiteville used 3 walks and singles by Jake Odham and Hammonds to score 4 runs in the 4th and open up an 8-1 lead.
Eagle senior D. A. Smith was hit by a pitch and stole 2 bases in the Eagle 5th inning then darted home on an error. Luke Odham walked and circled the bases on a stolen base, a wild pitch and Will Fisher’s fielder’s choice in the Wolfpack 6th inning.
Greene walked to start the Eagle 6th inning, and Hargrove, his courtesy runner, advanced on an error and a sacrifice before racing home on Johnson’s single to trim the margin to 9-3.
Hannah walked and scored the final Whiteville run on a Creech single in the 7th.
Senior Jake Futrell started on the hill for the Eagles and pitched 3.1 innings allowing 7 runs – 4 earned – on 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. Sophomore Davion Lewis worked 2.2 innings of relief and allowed 3 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 1. Senior Britt Sasser pitched the final scoreless inning and allowed a hit and a walk while striking out 1.
Greene batted 2-for-3 to lead the East hitters. Futrell and Johnson contributed 1 hit each. Johnson drove in 2 runs. Hargrove scored twice, and Smith scored a run.
Creech batted 2-for-3 with a run batted in and a run scored to lead the Wolfpack hitters. Hammonds singled, had 3 RBIs and scored a run. Luke Odham singled and scored 3 runs. Todd singled and scored 2 runs.
Whiteville 103 401 1 — 10-8-2
East Bladen 010 011 0 — 3-4-2
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