Trey Pierce had three hits for Shallotte in a 17-3 playoff win.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/W.A. Myatt)
Shallotte opened the Old North State League baseball playoffs with a decisive 17-3 win over Hope Mills on Wednesday night at Mike Alderson Field at West Brunswick.
The Shallywags (18-13) visit Jacksonville (18-14, 16-12 Coastal Division) in the second round on Friday for a 6:30 p.m. start.
“As we move into Round 2 against Jacksonville, it’s just about taking it one pitch at a time and guys being focused on their job,” said Wags coach James Rice.
Shallotte put together some big numbers after the Rockfish (8-26, 6-24) took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on a 3-run homer by Landen Edwards.
The hosts scored eight runs in the seventh inning and added five in the eighth.
First baseman Jude Morton had six runs batted in.
Wags right-handers Ryder Whitacre and Zach Steagall combined for 18 strikeouts.
Shallotte scored 17 runs for the second straight game in extending its winning streak to six.
Payton Hankins got Shallotte’s comeback started with a 2-run homer in the second.
Trey Pierce and Branton Jernigan scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by Morton for a 4-3 lead in the sixth.
In the seventh, Michael Royston extended the advantage to 5-3 with a single that brought in Hankins. Pierce had a 2-run single that scored Dawson Ables and Royston. Morton had a 3-run double. Bobby Fkeming drove in two with a two bagger.
Ryan Yaroshuk had a 2-run single in the eighth, which also featured run-scoring hits for Ryan Davis, Morton and Fleming.
Whitacre started and went four innings. He allowed three hits with one walk and eight whiffs. Steagall’s stint included five innings, one hit, one walk and 10 strikeouts as he was credited with the win.
Shallotte outhit the visitors, 18-4 as Pierce, Fleming and Morton had three apiece. Getting two hits each were Yaroshuk, Hankins and Royston. Ables had a double and Davis hit safely.
Jernigan drew four of the team’s five walks and scored three runs, as did Pierce.
The Shallywags improved to 9-7 at home.
“Hope Mills came out and punched us in the first,” Rice said. “After that, Ryder Whitacre settled in and was really good, only allowing one baserunner.
“Offensively we got started in the second with a 2 run home run by Peyton Hankins and then hits started coming.
“Zach Steagall closed the door going five innings striking out 10 and not allowing them to gain any momentum to try and come back.”
Ryder Whitacre had eight strikeouts in four innings on Wednesday.
(Shallotte Area Sports Photo/W.A. Myatt)
Dawson Ables sets to field a ground ball at second base.
(Shallotte Area Sports Photo/W.A. Myatt)
