By By RYAN ROCKWELL, Sports Writer
CHOCOWINITY -- The Southside baseball team opened the season at home with Jamesville and benefited from sloppy Bullet play, winning 10-4.
Jamesville (0-1) pitching gave up just six hits, but three errors, two wild pitches and seven walks cost the Bullets in their season opener on Tuesday.
Southside (1-0) fell behind in the top of the first, as starting pitcher Zack Squires struggled with his control, walking the first two batters. With no outs and Joey Harrison and Tyler Clifton aboard, Steven Roberson singled into center. Harrison attempted to score from second, but was gunned down by Seahawk centerfielder Billy Carter. Clifton scored, however, as William Brown knocked him in from third on a sacrifice fly to right.
The Jamesville 1-0 lead was short lived, however, as Southside scored three runs in the bottom half of the first. With one out, Bullet starter Blake Perry walked two batters and gave up an infield single to Ryan Blockard. Then with the bases loaded, Squires hit a routine grounder to the shortstop, who muffed the throw to first, scoring two runs. Two batters later and with two outs, Ryan Evangelio legged out a tapper past Roberson, scoring Blockard.
With a 3-1 lead, Squires handled business on the mound, keeping Jamesville without a hit over the next three innings. Squires got the win, pitching four complete, allowing one run on one hit.
Squires helped himself in the third with an RBI single into center field, scoring Blockard. Blockard led off the inning with a single into left and then advanced to second and third on wild pitches by Perry.
Southside added six runs in the fourth and fifth to put the game out of reach. Blockard, who was 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs, came into pitch the fifth and sixth, giving up two hits, while allowing three earned runs.
Southside led 7-1 after four thanks to three runs on no hits. Carter struck out to lead the inning off, but reached on a passed ball on the third strike. Then Roberson walked and hit the next two batters. Blockard plated Carter with a sacrifice fly to center. Then, another run would score as a Southside pinch-runner stole home on the double steal with Squires, who reached on the fielder's choice. Then, Dewayne Whealton tapped a ball in front of the catcher, who threw the ball past the first baseman, to score Squires.
In the fifth, Kevin McRay reached on an error to lead off the inning and then scored three batters later on a grounder, following consecutive walks. Blockard added two insurance runs, nailing a single into the gap in right-center, scoring both Danyell Mackey and Carter. Southside led 10-1 after five innings.
Jamesville cut the lead to 10-4 in the sixth as Charles Winstead drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a wild pitch by Blockard. Perry plated two more runners, doubling to deep left-center.
The Bullets would threaten in the seventh, as Kane Davis roped a stand-up double into left to lead things off. Davis advanced to third, as the next batter, Ben Lilley, reached on an infield single. The bases became loaded with just one out for reliever Robbie Lee Chandler, but the righty retired the final two batters via a strikeout and a groundout, to preserve the six-run victory.
Southside plays Mattamuskeet today in Chocowinity at 4:30.
JAMESVILLE 100 003 0 4 5 3
SOUTHSIDE 301 330 10 6 0
WP- Zack Squires (1-0). LP-Blake Perry (0-1).
Leading hitters: J -- Tyler Clifton 1-3, Steven Roberson 1-4, Blake Perry 1-3 (2 RBIs, Double), Kane Davis 1-3 (Double), Ben Lilley 1-1; SS -- Billy Carter 1-3, Ryan Blockard 3-4 (3 RBIs), Zack Squires 1-4 (RBI), Ryan Evangelio 1-2 (RBI).