Ryan Yaroshuk was a solid performer for the Shallywags.
(Shallotte Area Sports Photo/W.A. Myatt)
Shallotte’s Old North State League baseball season came to an end on Friday night with a 4-2 loss at Jacksonville in the second round of the league playoffs.
A 6-game winning streak was halted as the Shallywags finished their first season with an 18-14 record.
Trey Pierce led off the game with a single and scored on a ground out by Jude Morton as Shallotte took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
The Ospreys (20-14 overall, 17-12 Coastal Division) took the lead with two runs in the third on a walk with the bases loaded and a wild pitch.
The hosts added two runs in the seventh on an error with the bases loaded for a 4-1 lead. An error allowed the Wags to close within 4-2 in the eighth.
Pierce and Cody Crafton had two hits each for the Wags. Ryan Yaroshuk and Payton Hankins also had hits for the visitors.
Brodie Keener started and went six innings to get the win for Jacksonville. He allowed five hits with one run (unearned) while yielding one walk with eight strikeouts.
Cam Jernigan started and went two and two-thirds innings for Shallotte. Brent Avery went the rest of the way. Avery gave up six hits, two runs (both unearned) with two walks and seven strikeouts.
“Going into the game, I knew with the arms they had going and the guys we had lined up to go for us, it was going to be a good game,” said Shallotte coach James Rice. “We got on the board early which was huge for us and Cam Jernigan worked out of some tough situations early.
“Credit to their pitcher (Keener) for settling in and keeping us quiet offensively for a while. They applied pressure in the third and in the seventh and made it 4-1.
“We hit some balls hard that didn’t get down but kept batting in the seventh eighth and ninth. We were really one big hit away from extending the game and potentially our season.”
Rice credited his club for their body of work and development in 2025.
“This season as a whole I was very happy with what we were able to accomplish,” he said. “An 18-14 summer season in a tough division is definitely nothing to hang your head about.
“The growth that our guys showed through the summer was something special to be a part of. Dealing with injuries and the toughness of a summer season and doing what we did especially making a late season push to secure a three seed was awesome.
“I believe we had the best offense in the league and that’s credit to the work that the hitters put in on a daily basis. Being able to start something special in Shallotte was very fun and looking forward to continuing this growth moving forward is very exciting.”
