By By GREG KATSKI, Staff Writer
The Washington High School baseball team made quick work of Northside on Monday evening at Futrell Field, beating the Panthers, 11-1, in a game called after five innings.
The Pam Pack (7-4, 3-3 Coastal) scored four runs in the first inning and five more in the second to go up 9-0.
Washington took advantage of some costly Northside (3-7, 2-3 Atlantic) mistakes to jump out to the early 4-0 lead in the first.
Panthers starting pitcher Bradley Slade walked Jake Duke to lead off the bottom of the first for Washington.
Chris Everette followed with a sacrifice bunt, moving Duke over to second, before Austin Thompson legged-out an infield single, advancing Duke to third.
Duke and Thompson scored the first runs of the game on a single by cleanup designated hitter David Tyson.
Slade couldn’t find the strike zone again, hitting Pam Pack first baseman Justin Meekins on his first offering.
Gator Moore followed Meekins with an RBI single, scoring Tyson. Gil Broadway rounded out the Pam Pack’s offensive onslaught in the first inning when he drove in Meekins on a lazy fly ball misplayed by Panthers second baseman Dee Martin.
The Panthers mounted a scoring threat in the top of the second when Slade led off the inning by reaching first on an error.
The speedy Slade advanced to second on a passed ball by Meekins, but the rally died out as Washington starter Brandon Thomas mowed down the next three batters he faced.
The Pam Pack picked on Slade again in the bottom of the second.
Another leadoff walk by the senior pitcher, this time to Everette, spelled disaster and the end of the day for Slade.
After Everette walked, Thompson singled, setting up Tyson for another RBI opportunity. The cleanup hitter delivered, driving in Everette with another RBI single.
Slade lost control again, issuing a walk to Meekins to load the bases.
The senior found his control on the next pitch, tossing a meatball down the middle of the plate to Moore. The Pam Pack right fielder squared up on the offering and sent it soaring over the left field fence.
The Pam Pack chased Slade in the bottom of the third, scoring two more runs.
Slade (2 1/3 IP, eight hits, 11 runs and five earned runs) was replaced by Eric Collier with one out in the inning.
Northside’s only run of the game came in the top of the fourth when Zach Boyd singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Woolard.
After the game, Thomas (4 IP, two hits, one earned run, three strikeouts) was satisfied with his outing, but said he needs to work on his off-speed stuff.
Washington head coach Darin Vaughan said Thomas will be key to the Pam Pack’s success coming through the home stretch of conference play.
The Pam Pack’s offensive barrage was highlighted by Moore and Tyson. Moore went 2-for-2 with five RBIs and one run, while Tyson was 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs.
Vaughan was just happy that his players got some quality at-bats.
He was particularly pleased with the Pam Pack’s five-run, two-out rally in the second.
Washington opens up the second half of conference play in the Coastal league today as it visits West Carteret at 7 p.m.
The Panthers play host to Atlantic Conference foe Southside today, with first pitch set for 6 p.m.