Grading Out: Tournaments provide wealth of local stars

Published 4:44 pm Monday, April 17, 2017

Baseball and softball tournaments took place across the state this past weekend. Washington hosted Northside, Southside and other neighboring teams for a baseball tournament, which wrapped up on Monday. The Lady Pack softball took off for Winterville to participate in Conley’s tournament and swept its three-game slate.

These tournaments can oftentimes be a turning point in the season. The Pam Pack and Panthers have both excelled thus far, but having a break in conference play is valuable in that it’s an opportunity to test new things out. Such is true for Washington softball, which got to play most of its bench players.

Southside, on the other hand, went into the tournament having just started heating up. Any and all momentum the Seahawks pick up will be vital moving forward.

As local athletes enjoy their spring break, here’s who stood out last week.

 

ZACH WOOLARD, NORTHSIDE

Northside and Southside’s second meeting of the season looked a lot different than the first. Their inaugural contest was a rollercoaster over the last inning and a half.

The second time around, though, Zach Woolard commanded the Seahawks’ offense. He allowed minimal baserunners, and when he did, he kept them from coming home. Southside, trailing 2-0 in the fourth, got two in scoring position, but Woolard fanned one and induced a groundout back to himself to escape danger.

 

ABBIGAIL TUCKER, WASHINGTON

Washington pitchers Abbigail Tucker and Hailey Harris split up time in the circle in two of the three tournament games in Winterville. She struck out seven Ayden-Grifton batters in the opener as the two threw a collective no hitter.

On Saturday, Tucker gave up two runs (one earned) on no hits and three walks in the first three innings. She did her best to stymie Edenton’s offense, which kept the door open for the Lady Pack to storm back in the seventh. She threw all five innings and fanned eight in a 13-3 win over Havelock, too.

 

JORDAN PRESCOTT, WASHINGTON

Jordan Prescott and the Washington girls’ soccer team collected its 12th and 13th wins of the season in the first two games of a three-game non-conference stretch.

After losing to Havelock, 6-0, in the second game of the season, Prescott helped lead the Lady Pack to a 3-1 win over the Lady Rams last Tuesday. After a Havelock own goal, Prescott gave Washington breathing room with a goal in the second half. She then scored a hat trick and assisted on two more goals in a 7-0 thumping of Northeastern.

 

HAILEY HARRIS, WASHINGTON

Hailey Harris spent less time than usual pitching throughout Conley’s Easter tournament, but was effective nonetheless. She allowed no earned runs and struck out nine batters in four innings, giving Washington the opportunity for the aforementioned comeback against Edenton.

At the plate, Harris had multiple hits in each game. She exploded in the finale — a 13-3 win over Havelock — when she went a perfect 4-for-4. She had two doubles and a triple to account for seven (four scored, three RBI) of the Lady Pack’s runs.