No Quit in These Rams: Greene Central Forces Game Three Showdown for State Championship Berth
WHITEVILLE —It's not how you fall but how you respond.
Losing Game One at home and then having to travel to Whiteville facing elimination, Greene Central could have easily pointed fingers and pouted. However, this team from Snow Hill is just different.
"We had every opportunity to give up and we did not. The Rams are tough," said Rams head coach Ben Brann.
After a heart-wrenching loss at home, which snapped a remarkable 25-game winning streak, the Greene Central Rams responded with resilience and determination. Facing elimination, they traveled to Whiteville and played their signature brand of baseball, defeating the Wolfpack 4-0 to force a decisive game three.
The Rams wasted no time in asserting themselves. In the third inning, Braden Burress led off with a single and promptly stole second base. Will Radford then knocked in Burress with an RBI single to open the scoring. Mason Dillon, running for Radford, stole second and scored on a Noah Uzzell RBI single, giving the Rams a 2-0 lead.
The Rams struck again in the seventh inning. Austin Brock delivered a pinch-hit line drive, and after an intentional walk to Burress, Easton Creech made the Wolfpack pay with a line drive single that scored Cam Taylor. Radford walked, and Riley Radford followed with a bases-loaded walk to score the Rams' fourth run.
"I was thinking they were gonna walk Braden and they did, so I went in there and got a pitch I could hit and got the job done," said Creech, who went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
On the defensive side, Greene Central was flawless, rebounding from a game one where they committed five errors. The Rams turned three double plays and made a spectacular diving catch in the outfield. Burress was magnificent on the mound, pitching a complete game shutout on just 64 pitches. Rams senior leader has been lights out in the playoffs pitching 23 innings with zero earned runs.
"The defense was on full display tonight," said Burress. "I am not a big strikeout pitcher, but my defense came up big. We turned three double plays and that's huge. I told the guys in the locker room after the last game, we just make two fewer errors and we win that ball game. Tonight, we came out and made every play we needed to make."
Whiteville’s ace, Ashton Hammonds, battled through 6.2 innings, allowing eight hits and four earned runs while striking out nine. Despite his efforts, the Rams' relentless offense and solid defense proved too much for the Wolfpack.
Greene County supporters showed up in force in Whiteville, their loud cheers providing a significant morale boost for the Rams. The fans’ energy was palpable, creating a home-field atmosphere on the road.
Coach Ben Brann reflected on the team's reaction to their first loss and how they prepared for game two. "The message was, that wasn't us. We have been playing awesome defense all year and come out and make five errors, that’s not us. We had our worst defensive game of the year and lost by one in extras. We definitely knew we had the ability to get the win. We came out tonight and played our butts off, we defended our butts off again tonight. I am super proud of how we came out after a loss.”
Burress also spoke about the team’s mentality after the loss. "After that loss Tuesday night, the guys came out fired up. I've never seen this group of guys so ready for a baseball game."
With the series now tied, the Rams return home for a decisive game three on Friday night at 7 p.m. Anticipation is high for what promises to be one of the most attended baseball games in eastern North Carolina in a long time.
Coach Brann had a message for the fans: "Ram country, come out!"
Greene Central is one win away from playing in the NCHSAA 2A State Championship. Job not done.
Notable Game Statistics:
- Easton Creech: 2-for-4, 1 RBI
- Will Radford: 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 walk
- Braden Burress: 1-for-3, 1 walk
- Noah Uzzell: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 double
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