Greene Central Advances to Fourth Round, Hardy Shines on the Mound

SNOW HILL, N.C. — Greene Central High School's Rams advanced to the fourth round of the state playoffs after a commanding 5-1 victory over the Bunn Wildcats. The top-seeded Rams, who maintain an undefeated record of 24-0, will next host the #4 seed Midway, which stands at 20-5 this season.

Greene Central’s standout pitcher, Austin Hardy, secured his 11th win of the season, pitching a complete game with only one earned run, 13 strikeouts, and just three hits allowed. Reflecting on his performance, Hardy said, "I started off the game kinda shaky, but when I settled down, I was fine. I locked in there at the end. I gotta leave everything out there; I can't take nothing with me."

Riley Raford was a key player at the plate, going 1-for-2 with three RBIs, including a double and a sacrifice fly. Braden Burress added to the Rams' offensive efforts with a 2-for-3 performance, notching one RBI and a double. Will Radford also shined, going 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.

The Rams took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning when Will Radford drove in Burress. The Wildcats quickly responded in the second inning, tying the game at 1-1. However, Greene Central pulled ahead in the third with two more runs, thanks to a perfectly executed bunt by Burress and a missile to left field from Raford for a sacrifice fly.

Later, the Rams solidified their lead when Raford hit a two-run double to score Mason Dillon and Easton Creech, making it 5-1. With Hardy’s control from the mound, the Wildcats struggled to mount a comeback.

Discussing a crucial at-bat, Raford mentioned, "I was in a tough spot, we had one or two outs, and I knew he was going to throw me a curveball. I picked up on it and did my job."

Hardy also praised his catcher, Will Radford, for his role in the game's success, stating, "Will calms me down, he calls a great game every time I pitch, props to Will for calling a great game."

Head Coach Ben Brann spoke highly of Hardy's performance and competitive spirit, saying, "He is an extreme competitor; he doesn't ever back down from a challenge. He didn’t have his best stuff at the beginning but he settled down and threw the ball extremely well."

Brann also expressed pride in the team's efforts and community involvement, noting, "I am really proud of how hard the guys have been playing, how hard we have been working, and it's really paying off."

He further commented on the community support as the Rams hosted all recreation baseball players that showed up with their jersey on got to stand on the field with the current players during the national anthem.

"Snow Hill and Greene County have a lot of tradition with baseball. It is great to see a lot of the kids out here get involved and play around on their future field."

The Rams look to continue their dominant performance as they face Midway at home in Snow Hill on Friday night.