Pack puts end to streak
Published 10:33 am Monday, March 25, 2013
![Washington’s Greg Squres (7) scores a run during the Pam Pack’s 10-3 win over White Oak at Washington High School.](http://www.wdnweb.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2013/03/WHS-BB-Greg-Squires-web.jpg)
Washington’s Greg Squres (7) scores a run during the Pam Pack’s 10-3 win over White Oak at Washington High School.
The Pam Pack pulled the E-break on its season-long losing streak on Friday with a tire-screeching 10-3 victory over Coastal Conference foe White Oak that not only put a holt to its seven game slide, but breathed joy back into the Washington dugout.
It’s been a frustrating season at times for the young Pam Pack as it’s compiled a slew of near-miss losses that left the team still searching for its first win of the year after seven games.
Washington doesn’t have to search anymore.
On Friday, everything seemed to come together as junior Chase Hartley gave a strong performance in a spot start, the Pam Pack lineup mixed big hits with small ball tactics and the defense handled everything thrown its way.
“It feels good. Obviously there is a little bit of relief mixed into it but I’m mainly just happy for these kids,” Washington coach Ryan Whitney said. “It’s like I told them after the game: winning always feels better. I feel good for the guys because they work hard on a regular basis. They continue to show heart and effort and they deserved it.”
Hartley would finish the game throwing all seven innings, allowing three runs and scattering six hits while striking out four to get the win.
“He just did a good job getting strikes from Pitch One,” Whitney said. “He just came in and threw the ball over the plate. He didn’t try to get too fancy. I think we might have called four breaking balls the entire night. He was just around the plate with the fastball and he pitched to contact. He pitched to win.”
The Pam Pack (1-7) racked up a total of 15 hits and struck early as Dustin Moore drilled a run-scoring triple that plated Devon Van Cura and Hartley followed up with an RBI single that scored Moore to give Washington a 2-0 lead after the first.
Washington tacked on another run in the third when Greg Squires singled and later scored on a Van Cura fielder’s choice.
Leadoff man Matt Dixon paced the Pack at the plate going 3-5 with two RBIs, while Greg Squires was 3-4 and drove in a run.
After two scoreless innings, Washington exploded in the fifth and sixth innings where it totaled seven runs.
In the fifth, Washington took advantage of two White Oak miscues as Hartley reached on an error and was advanced by Trey Brunson, who laid down the first of two well-executed sac bunts. Jamond Ebron got on board via another Vikings error and both he and Hartley would go on to score, along with Patrick Thompson, who had an RBI single in the inning.
Washington delivered the knockout punch in the sixth as it scored four runs to take a 10-3 lead as Greg Squires drove in a run and Matt Dixon delivered a two-run single to highlight the inning.
White Oak 000 000 012 0 — 3 6 6
Washington 210 034 X — 10 15 2
WP: Chase Hartley; LP: Scottie White
Hitting: WO — Scottie White 1-3 (RBI), Zach Scalzo 1-3, Tyler Jobe 2-3 (RBI), Mike Meriwether 1-3, Jack Kounce 1-3; W —Matt Dixon 3-5 (2 RBI), Dustin Moore 1-4 (RBI), Chase Hartley 1-4 (RBI), Trey Brunson 2-4, Jamond Ebron 1-4, Patrick Thompson 2-4 (RBI), Greg Squires 3-4 (RBI), Bradley Smith 2-4.