Deep Creek drops Warriors in one inning
Published 8:39 pm Friday, April 8, 2011
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Nansemond River sophomore Zack Rice pitched 3.1 scoreless innings to start Thursday’s district game at Deep Creek. The Warriors (4-3) led 6-0 through four frames before Deep Creek scored eight runs in the fifth inning and won 8-6.
Deep Creek scored in only one inning of Thursday night’s Southeastern District baseball game against visiting Nansemond River. The Hornets made their one rally count as eight runs in the fifth inning flipped a 6-0 Warrior lead into an 8-6 Hornet win.
The Hornets came into Thursday’s game with a 1-5 mark. The loss makes three straight setbacks for the Warriors after a four-game winning streak to start the season.
Nansemond River steadily built a healthy lead through the first four innings. In the first, Brandon Lowe’s triple into the right-center field gap scored leadoff man Tyler Brown. Lowe came down the line on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 Warriors.
Sophomore Zack Rice, a tall lefty, started on the mound for NR and had no problems keeping the Hornets off-balance.
Middle infielders Josh Howard and Lowe worked a 4-6-3 double play to end the Hornet first. After a leadoff single in the DC second, Rice struck out the side. Rice allowed a hit batter and a walk with two outs in the third, but another strikeout left the runners stranded.
After going ahead 4-0 in the second, the Warriors added another pair of runs in the fourth. Pinch-runner Chris Hewitt scored on Howard’s grounder to second and Brown, who reached base with a double, broke for third on the grounder. The Hornet throw to get Brown at third was wild, allowing Brown to score for a 6-0 NR lead.
Rice was relieved from the mound with one out and two Hornets on in the fourth. Kyle Moore came on and got a fly to center and worked a pickoff play with Lowe at second to end the inning.
It took Moore, then Travis Johnson, then Howard 10 Hornet hitters to record another out.
The danger started as Moore walked the first three batters in the DC fifth. The Hornets went on to have a 7-6 lead before a fielder’s choice at second made it 8-6 and was the first out.
The Hornets tallied six hits in the rally, but were also aided by two errors and a couple other plays where the Warriors made an ill-advised, late throw to a bag that, while not counting as errors, still gave the Hornets more outs.
After losing the lead, the Warriors managed only one base runner in the sixth and seventh innings.
The Warriors move on in district play Monday, hosting Hickory at 5:30 p.m.