A clear, stormy afternoon
Promising Senior Day turns sour for Cyclones
y Tom Ham hammer@wilsontimes.com | 265-7819
What a dazzling Monday afternoon for a Senior Day observance.
But, what a dejecting outcome for the Community Christian School varsity baseball team — the team observing Senior Day in its regular-season finale.
Halifax Academy, a rival without a victory all season, snapped a 4-4 tie with two runs in the fifth inning, then broke the contest open with a six-run explosion in the sixth and wrecked the Cyclones’ special day by a 13-4 margin.
Community Christian, an 1-A member of the 1/A/2-A Coastal Independents Conference, tumbled to 2-4 in the league and 5-8 overall. Head coach Andy Jackson noted the loss left his Cyclones “on the outside looking in” as far as securing a spot in the eight-team North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A playoffs.
The Vikings, 2-A competitors in the same conference, departed 1-10 and 1-6, respectively.
“We thought we could win this one,” commented center fielder Reece Bartlett, one of six Community Christian seniors. “We were playing a team that had not won any games. But we were coming off spring break and haven’t had practice in a week.
“We started out good but it went downhill. We got down on ourselves; the defense slowed down; at the plate, we didn’t do what we needed to do.”
Added coach Jackson: “It’s disappointing. We didn’t hit like we’re capable and we gave them extra opportunities. With the self-inflicted wounds, it’s hard to recover. Then, we had a bad blowout inning.”
The Vikings shelled three Cyclones pitchers for 17 hits. On three occasions, CCS botched double-play opportunities on either line drives or pop flys with errant relay throws, CCS committed six errors.
Jackson noted Halifax is usually the most competitive when Zach Elder is on the mound. He wasn’t wrong.
Elder, a freshman right-hander, stopped the Cyclones on five hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out 10.
Elder explained he was effective when locating his fastball inside and then working away with abreaking pitch. He survived jams each of the first two innings.
“I just wanted to get out of the jams and progress on,” said Elder, who played shortstop in the earlier junior varsity game — won by Halifax. “Just play the game and pitch my pitch. I felt pretty good (about the way he pitched).
“I came in here thinking we could win this game — and the jayvee game. (The varsity) has been up innings and we blew a lot. A few games, we should won.”
But of wrecking CCS’ Senior Day, Elder managed a grin and replied: “It felt very good.”
Suspect defense was a gift that kept on giving for both teams at the outset.
Senior first baseman Cody Wood’s RBI single staked the Vikings to a 1-0 lead with an unearned run against starting CCS right-hander Drew Oliver in the first.
But CCS retaliated with three runs its half of the inning, when junior Thomas Lane and Bartlett each slammed RBI doubles. But the Cyclones were blanked by Elder after senior Noah Moran laced an RBI single in the fourth.
Halifax got singles from sophomore Ayden Woodall, Elder and sophomore Stacy Mumford in the three-run fourth. Wood, Woodall, senior Cameron Podruchny and senior Colton Copeland each singled in the two-run fifth that sent the Vikings ahead for keeps at 6-4.
The Cyclones imploded in the sixth, using three pitchers and giving up five hits, including Wood’s double.
“Give them credit for swinging the bats and getting hits,” CCS’ Bartlett remarked.
Added coach Jackson: “Give Halifax a lot of credit. When somebody gets 17 hits, you have to tip your hat.”
The afternoon proved to be a tough one for CCS seniors Bartlett, Oliver, Moran, Barry Radford, Josh Hollingsworth and Jordan Tyner.
“I love my seniors,” said Jackson, “and I wanted to see them win.”
Bartlett reviewed: “It was a relatively decent year. We won more games than in recent years. We had some good wins and some tough losses — like this one.
“But it was a nice afternoon.”
Score by innings:
Halifax 001 326 1 — 13
CCS 003 100 0 — 4
WP-Zach Elder 7IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 S0. LP-Drew Oliver 5 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO.
LEADING HITTERS — Halifax Academy: Cameron Podruchny 3-4, 2 RBI; Hunter Futrell 2-2, RBI; Bryce Cooke 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, Cody Wood 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Ayden Woodall 2-4; Community Christian: Noah Moran 1-3, RBI; Thomas Lane 1-2, 2B, RBI; Reece Bartlett 1-4 2B, RBI; Landon Beamon 1-1, 2B; Drew Oliver 1-4.
Promising Senior Day turns sour for Cyclones
y Tom Ham hammer@wilsontimes.com | 265-7819
What a dazzling Monday afternoon for a Senior Day observance.
But, what a dejecting outcome for the Community Christian School varsity baseball team — the team observing Senior Day in its regular-season finale.
Halifax Academy, a rival without a victory all season, snapped a 4-4 tie with two runs in the fifth inning, then broke the contest open with a six-run explosion in the sixth and wrecked the Cyclones’ special day by a 13-4 margin.
Community Christian, an 1-A member of the 1/A/2-A Coastal Independents Conference, tumbled to 2-4 in the league and 5-8 overall. Head coach Andy Jackson noted the loss left his Cyclones “on the outside looking in” as far as securing a spot in the eight-team North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A playoffs.
The Vikings, 2-A competitors in the same conference, departed 1-10 and 1-6, respectively.
“We thought we could win this one,” commented center fielder Reece Bartlett, one of six Community Christian seniors. “We were playing a team that had not won any games. But we were coming off spring break and haven’t had practice in a week.
“We started out good but it went downhill. We got down on ourselves; the defense slowed down; at the plate, we didn’t do what we needed to do.”
Added coach Jackson: “It’s disappointing. We didn’t hit like we’re capable and we gave them extra opportunities. With the self-inflicted wounds, it’s hard to recover. Then, we had a bad blowout inning.”
The Vikings shelled three Cyclones pitchers for 17 hits. On three occasions, CCS botched double-play opportunities on either line drives or pop flys with errant relay throws, CCS committed six errors.
Jackson noted Halifax is usually the most competitive when Zach Elder is on the mound. He wasn’t wrong.
Elder, a freshman right-hander, stopped the Cyclones on five hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out 10.
Elder explained he was effective when locating his fastball inside and then working away with abreaking pitch. He survived jams each of the first two innings.
“I just wanted to get out of the jams and progress on,” said Elder, who played shortstop in the earlier junior varsity game — won by Halifax. “Just play the game and pitch my pitch. I felt pretty good (about the way he pitched).
“I came in here thinking we could win this game — and the jayvee game. (The varsity) has been up innings and we blew a lot. A few games, we should won.”
But of wrecking CCS’ Senior Day, Elder managed a grin and replied: “It felt very good.”
Suspect defense was a gift that kept on giving for both teams at the outset.
Senior first baseman Cody Wood’s RBI single staked the Vikings to a 1-0 lead with an unearned run against starting CCS right-hander Drew Oliver in the first.
But CCS retaliated with three runs its half of the inning, when junior Thomas Lane and Bartlett each slammed RBI doubles. But the Cyclones were blanked by Elder after senior Noah Moran laced an RBI single in the fourth.
Halifax got singles from sophomore Ayden Woodall, Elder and sophomore Stacy Mumford in the three-run fourth. Wood, Woodall, senior Cameron Podruchny and senior Colton Copeland each singled in the two-run fifth that sent the Vikings ahead for keeps at 6-4.
The Cyclones imploded in the sixth, using three pitchers and giving up five hits, including Wood’s double.
“Give them credit for swinging the bats and getting hits,” CCS’ Bartlett remarked.
Added coach Jackson: “Give Halifax a lot of credit. When somebody gets 17 hits, you have to tip your hat.”
The afternoon proved to be a tough one for CCS seniors Bartlett, Oliver, Moran, Barry Radford, Josh Hollingsworth and Jordan Tyner.
“I love my seniors,” said Jackson, “and I wanted to see them win.”
Bartlett reviewed: “It was a relatively decent year. We won more games than in recent years. We had some good wins and some tough losses — like this one.
“But it was a nice afternoon.”
Score by innings:
Halifax 001 326 1 — 13
CCS 003 100 0 — 4
WP-Zach Elder 7IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 S0. LP-Drew Oliver 5 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO.
LEADING HITTERS — Halifax Academy: Cameron Podruchny 3-4, 2 RBI; Hunter Futrell 2-2, RBI; Bryce Cooke 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, Cody Wood 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Ayden Woodall 2-4; Community Christian: Noah Moran 1-3, RBI; Thomas Lane 1-2, 2B, RBI; Reece Bartlett 1-4 2B, RBI; Landon Beamon 1-1, 2B; Drew Oliver 1-4.
