WILLIAMSTON — With first place in the Four Rivers Conference on the line, Plymouth came out of the box swinging and never looked back as it was able to top rival Riverside 12-4 on Friday night.

Both teams entered the matchup with a perfect conference record, but the Vikings (10-0, 4-0) used 13 hits to score 12 runs to take a one-game lead over the Knights (8-2, 3-1).

“We knew it was a big game,” Plymouth coach Terry Perry said. “We always try to get up for Williamston, which is now Riverside … We just kind of came together and came out fighting.”

Ronnell Blount led the assault for Plymouth as he was 3-for-3 with five RBIs and two doubles. Brandon Gibson also had three hits for the Vikings, one of which was a mammoth solo home run that traveled over the 360-feet sign in right-center field.

Plymouth came out on fire as leadoff hitter Chris Rogerson and No. 2 hitter D.J. Cook began the game with singles. After a Mister Davis strikeout, Blount launched a two-run double to give his team an early lead.

Holding a two-run cushion, Cook took the mound and delivered a solid outing that would make sure the Vikings would never surrender their advantage.

Cook threw all seven innings, striking out two batters and walking two to limit a potent Knights lineup to four runs.

The Vikings added another run in the second when Gibson belted his homer, then tacked on another run in the third on a Kevin Becker sac fly which put them up 4-1 after three full innings.

Plymouth’s fast start played a key role in its victory.

“It was really big. We wanted to come out, like everybody does, and just try and get a lead,” Perry said. “We try to win each inning, that’s our goal.”

Riverside got on the board in the bottom of the third when Cameron Price scored on a Christian Leggett sac fly.

The Knights would score two runs in the fifth as Will Gurganus and Christian Leggett each drove in a run to make it a 6-3 game.

The Knights could not get any closer as the heavy-hitting Vikings eight runs in the final three innings.

Gurganus, who pitched 4 2-3 innings, would get the loss as he struck out six batters and allowed six hits and five runs.

After the game, Riverside coach Hank Tice tipped his cap to Vikings.

“It was a good night for Plymouth baseball. I give credit to Terry Perry and his team,” Tice said. “We hit some balls hard, it just seemed like every time we hit it, it was a double play. They made plays behind Cook, they hit throughout the lineup and it seemed like every time we would get two outs they would get an RBI double.”

Both teams will be back in action on Tuesday as Riverside will host Northside and Plymouth will be playing Camden.

Plymouth 211 023 3 č 12 13 2

Riverside 001 021 0 č 4 8 2

WP D.J. Cook; LP: Will Gurganus

Hitting: P č Chris Rogerson 1-4 (RBI, R), D.J. Cook 2-4 (3 R), Ronnell Blount 3-3 (5 RBI, 2 2B), Kevin Becker 1-3 (RBI, R), Hunter Cook 1-4 (R), Brandon Gibson 3-4 (HR, 3 R), DeShaun Mason 2-4 (2 RBI 2 R); R č Caleb Whitley 2-4 (2B), Will Gurganus 2-4 (RBI), Matt Perry 1-3 (2B), Matt Wisniewski 1-2, Lucas Goover 2-3 (RBI).