PINETOWN — When it rains, it pours.

East Carteret had neutralized Northside for four frames and scraped together a run in the fourth to take a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth. The Panthers had a runner on base in each of the four innings prior, so they knew it would only be a matter of time before they broke through.

They got their most explosive offensive spurt of the season when they batted through the order without an out in the bottom of the fifth. All nine starting Panthers scored as Northside won via the mercy rule, 11-1.

“We’ve been needing that for the last six or eight games,” coach Keith Boyd said. “We’ve just struggled offensively. … Great execution with our bunt games. The kids did a great job baserunning. We had six hits in that inning. We finally looked efficient and like a pretty good team at the plate.”

Matthew Marslender sparked the onslaught with a leadoff single down the left-field line. Ethan Cosentino was sent to the plate to move Marslender to third with a sacrifice bunt, but reached on an error that let Marslender score the tying run.

“We had got in a funk, and that’s as contagious as hitting is,” Boyd said. “Matthew, who has probably struggled as bad as anybody has this year, has kept his head up all year long. He’s the one that goes up there and gets the leadoff hit to get things started. Everybody relaxed. It became fun.”

Reg Bishop belted an RBI single to left field, plating Cosentino for the go-ahead run. Grant Talbot reached when the Mariner first baseman dropped the ball, and Parker Boyd drew a walk to load the bases.

Tanner Alligood, Dawson Boyd and Brock Marsh notched consecutive RBI base hits to push Northside’s lead to 5-1. It wasn’t until Marslender’s second trip to the plate that East Carteret retired a Panther batter.

“(Boyd) came in for us. We had some injuries and had to pull him up,” Keith Boyd said. “He played a little JV for us. Since he’s been inserted, I think he’s had a four-game hit streak. He added a little spark, a little youth to us.”

Cosentino pushed Boyd across with a sac bunt. An error in right field let two more Panthers come across, then Parker Boyd finished things up with a two-RBI knock back up the middle.

Defensively, Zach Woolard gave up a run on two hits in five innings of work. The defense behind him was stout, too, as the Panthers set the Mariners down in order twice, including in the top of the fifth before they ran away with the game.

The Panthers travel to Pamlico County on Tuesday before preparing for tournament baseball. Pamlico is one of two teams to have beaten Northside this season.