Rams Blank The Hawks 2-0
One of our most anticipated games of the year came early.
Greene Central and North Lenoir clashed on the diamond in Snow Hill, showcasing why they are two of the top teams in 2A baseball. With Greene Central's storied history of five state championships and North Lenoir's two, the game was more than just a competition; it was a continuation of a rich baseball legacy.
Over the past two decades, North Lenoir has held a dominant position in this rivalry, securing wins in 20 of the past 29 games. However, the momentum has begun to shift, with Greene Central winning four of the last six matchups. This night was particularly special as it marked North Lenoir's first-year head coach Cam Sherrer's debut in the storied rivalry.
Coach Sherrer, who was previously an assistant at North Lenoir, shared his reflections on the high stakes of these matchups, saying, "Ever since I have been here as an assistant coach with Massey, every game has been close. It is always a playoff atmosphere, our best versus their best and you are always going to get a really, really good game."
The game itself turned into a remarkable pitching duel between Jackson Jenkins of North Lenoir, a Mount Olive commit, and Braden Burress of Greene Central, committed to East Carolina. Burress emerged as a dominant force on the mound, pitching a complete game shutout, allowing only one hit, and striking out 12. His performance in pitching was nothing short of big time, effectively keeping the Hawks' hitters at bay throughout the game.
Greene Central managed to get on base 13 times but only scored twice. Twice the Rams had the bases loaded with no outs and came away with no runs. The Rams inability to score fueled the Rams pitcher.
“That kinda sparked me a little bit on the mound,” Burress said. “A part of it was because I didn’t take care of my part and we were not as ahead as much as we should have been."
Jenkins, despite the loss, had a commendable outing, pitching 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs, and striking out six. Even though he gave up 11 hits, Jenkins was precise, with 69 of his 99 pitches being strikes. Reflecting on his performance and the team's effort, Jenkins said, "I thought my defense played really good, there were times we had bases loaded with no outs and both times we battled through. Having a team this young, stepping up making plays, it just gets me really fired up."
The offensive highlight for Greene Central came from Jordan Scott, who went 3-3 and scored both runs for the Rams, with RBIs from Easton Creech and Will Radford. Scott's performance, which included a ground ball single, a line drive single, and a perfectly executed bunt, was pivotal. Acknowledging the team effort, Scott remarked, "I felt great but we couldn't have done it without our pitcher."
Riley Radford also went 3-3 for the Rams with a double.
Greene Central's coach, Ben Brann, praised the team's overall performance, especially noting the significance of contributions from all parts of the lineup. "It is awesome to have some people in the bottom of the lineup getting on base and turning it over for the top. The top has been really [solid] so far this year through the first three games. It's hard to put a price on the bottom getting on for the top."
Coach Sherrer, reflecting on the game and looking ahead, emphasized the positives despite the loss: "They swung the bats good, and our defense stepped up when we really needed them to. That is them stepping up in really big moments, obviously we didn't come out on the end we wanted to, but those are successes you can take away and move forward with because those are really big situations."
No doubt North Lenoir will be ready for the Rams next week in The Swamp.
This victory not only extended Greene Central's unbeaten streak at home against North Lenoir to five years but also improved their season record to 3-0. North Lenoir, now 1-1, looks forward to a rematch on March 7th, promising another intense battle in this storied rivalry.
BATTING
Greene Central
B Burress 1-4
E Creech 1-4, 1 RBI
W Radford 1-4, 1 RBI
R Radford 3-3, 1 BB, 2B
C Taylor 0-4
B Anderson 0-3
N Uzzelll 1-2, 1 BB
E Monroe 1-3
J Scott 3-3, 2 runs, SB
North Lenoir
B Crawford 0-3
J Jenkins 0-2, 1 BB
G Byrd 0-2
P Wiggins 0-3
M Sasser 0-3
W Honeycutt 0-3
E Smith 0-3
C Chadwick 1-2
B Arnette 0-1, 1 BB
PITCHING
Greene Central
B Burress 7.0 IP, 1 hit, 2 BB, 12 Ks
North Lenoir
J Jenkins 5.2 IP, 11 hits, 2 runs, 2 BB, 6 Ks
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