By Staff
Staff Reports
Washington simply couldn’t cash in on a handful of opportunities, and the South Johnson Trojans scored the game’s lone run in the third inning of a 1-0 win in Friday’s second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A state playoffs.
The Trojans (19-8), the Eastern Carolina No. 2 seed who will play D.H. Conley (22-3) in the third round, loaded the bases with nobody out in the third. A sac fly accounted for the lone run of the inning, but that’s all the Trojans would need.
The Pack (11-13), the fifth seed out of the Coastal Conference, left two runners on base in the first, third and fifth innings.
Washington had two on and two out in the fifth when Morgan Boyd laced a shot up the middle. The Trojan pitcher got a glove on it and the shortstop scooped up the ball and fired it to first, beating Boyd by half a step and preserving the slim lead.
Washington also got a runner to third base in the sixth and had a runner on in the seventh, but couldn’t push across a run.
“I’m proud of the girls and how they played,” Washington coach Doug Whitehead said. “We played great defensively and didn’t have any errors.Brandi Hardison was sharp on the mound. She scattered four hits, struck out one and walked two.
“Brandi was outstanding,” Whitehead said. “She did a great job.”
Kristi Wood led Washington’s six-hit attack by going 2-for-3. Also getting hits were Casey Lewis (1-3), Katelyn Singleton (1-3), Justyce McKissick (1-3) and Hayley Stowe (1-4).
It was the final game for Stowe and fellow seniors Stacey Mayer and Shonita McIver.
“I hate to lose them,” Whitehead said. “Hayley was a great leader for us. Stacey played three years of varsity and played well. Shonita came back to us after track last year and was a big supporter all year.”
Whitehead believes the Pack should be solid next year.
“We return a good nucleus,” he said. “We’ll just keep on building next year.”