PILOT MOUNTAIN — A strikeout-fest and an eventful third inning lifted East Surry to a 7-1 victory over Surry Central.
The home Cardinals didn’t record a hit until the third inning, then scored six runs on five hits in that inning alone. East Surry added another run in the sixth to round out its April 4 victory.
Surry Central got off to a hot start in Tuesday’s game with a pair of first-inning hits that, aided by two walks, put the Eagles up 1-0.
After allowing two hits and two walks in the first inning, East Surry senior and Presbyterian College-commit Riley Pennington only gave up one of each in the next six innings. Pennington finished the night with 16 total strikeouts and had multiple strikeouts in five of seven innings – including two innings with three strikeouts in each.
Surry Central used three pitchers in the game against East: Ragan Hall started and threw one strikeout and three walks in the first inning; Cameron Cruise threw the next 1.2 innings and finished with two walks and six runs allowed on five hits; AvaReece Branch pitched the final 3.1 innings and walked four while allowing one run on one hit.
The Cardinals improved to 6-6 overall and 4-2 in the Foothills 2A Conference with the victory, while the Golden Eagles fell to 4-6 overall and 2-4 in conference play.
East Surry’s Maggie Clement was the only player on either squad to record multiple hits, doing so with a single and 2RBI double. Grace Leftwich added a double for the Cards, while four East Surry players each hit a single: Pennington, Elise Marion, Tegan Minor and Lilly Brinkley.
Claire Hardy and Madison Cook added RBIs for East Surry.
Cruise, Layla Wall and Kylee Schendel each recorded singles for Surry Central.
Cruise’s single put the Eagles on base for the first time in the top of the first inning. The Golden Eagle got some company on base after Wall was walked, then a line drive hit to center field by Schendel scored Cruise.
East Surry loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning after three of its first five batters were walked, though the other two reached base via a fielder’s choice. Hall left all three runners stranded with a strikeout.
Both sides went three up, three down in the second inning, then Wall hit a single in the top of the third. Pennington struck out the batter before Wall, though, then the two following the Golden Eagle’s hit.
Hardy was walked with a full count to begin the bottom of the third. The Cardinal went to second base on a wild pitch before being scored by a Leftwich double, then Leftwich was scored on a single from Marion.
Marion advanced to second after Pennington hit a line drive to right field. A flyout gave Central its first out of the inning, but then Brinkley brought Marion home with a hit down the left field line.
Cook then grounded out, bringing Addy Sechrist – Pennington’s courtesy runner – home in the process. Robertson was walked and stole second, then both Cook and Robertson scored when Clement earned a double with a hit to the fence in left-center field.
East had a chance to increase its lead in the fourth after Pennington was intentionally walked. Sechrist took the pitcher’s spot on first base and advanced all the way to third after a pair of wild pitches, but was left on after a flyout.
Branch advanced to scoring position for Central in the top of the fifth, having been walked and moving to second on a wild pitch, but a trio of strikeouts from Pennington ended the inning before the Golden Eagle could advance to third base.
Robertson reached first on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the fifth to set up East’s seventh run of the night. Clement’s second hit of the day moved Robertson to second, then both Cards moved to scoring position on a wild pitch. Robertson scored the final run on a ground out from Hardy.
Surry Central continues its FH2A Conference campaign on April 7 by hosting North Wilkes. East Surry takes a break from conference play to travel to West Stokes (6-6) on April 10.
Scoring
SC – 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 = 1
ES – 0, 0, 6, 0, 1, 0, X = 7
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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