Rams Advance to Round 3
SNOW HILL— The exhilaration of playoff baseball was on full display as the #4 seed Greene Central Rams (21-3) faced off against the #18 seed Whiteville Wolfpack (13-8), last year's Eastern regional champions. The Rams managed to clinch a tight 4-3 victory, propelling them into the third round and extending their winning streak to an impressive 19 games.
The Greene Central stadium was abuzz with excitement, witnessing possibly its highest attendance in recent times. The Rams were feeling the heat with their season hanging in the balance, trailing 3-2 going into the sixth inning.
Whiteville's pitcher, Gabriel Priest, delivered an outstanding performance, lasting five and two-thirds innings and effectively keeping the Rams' batters at bay. However, when Whiteville was compelled to switch pitchers, the momentum swung in favor of the Rams.
Post-match, Coach Ben Brann lauded his team's grit and resilience, specifically highlighting Noah Uzzell's performance. "We've been doing this the whole winning streak," he remarked. "We've had several comebacks at the end of the game, which shows we have a lot of heart and toughness. We don't give up." On Uzzell, he added, "He's a tough lil' man. He's not going to give in. He's a small guy but plays a lot bigger than he is."
Despite the pressure of the situation, the Rams players maintained their composure. Uzzell, reflecting on his crucial hits, simply said, "It felt good," while Austin Hardy, who was called in for the final out, confidently stated, "There was never any pressure."
The game remained intensely suspenseful until the very end. The Rams only managed to seize the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, posting three runs to shift the momentum. Braden Burress secured a walk with bases loaded, scoring the game-tying run, and freshman Will Radford followed suit, securing a walk with bases loaded to take the lead. The tension escalated as Whiteville loaded the bases, but Hardy rose to the occasion, recording the decisive final out.
Riley Radford earned the win for the Rams, pitching three and a third innings, allowing only one hit and one run while striking out one. Hardy's critical final out won him the save for the Greene Central Rams. Despite the loss, Whiteville's Gabriel Priest put up a valiant fight, going five and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, and striking out six.
The Rams accumulated eight hits during the game. Noah Uzzell, Cameron Taylor, and Will Radford each managed multiple hits, each contributing two hits to lead the Greene Central Rams.
The Rams are now gearing up to host their rival and conference opponent, Farmville Central, in the third round. This will be the third face-off between these two teams this year, with Greene Central having emerged victorious in both previous encounters.
