Rams Clinch 5-1 Victory Over Hunt
WILSON—The Greene Central Rams secured a 5-1 victory over Hunt High School, marking an important moment of redemption against a team that had contributed to two of their four losses last season. This win, following a season-opening victory against Eastern Wayne, propelled Greene Central to a 2-0 record, signaling their readiness and resolve for the challenges ahead. On the other side, Hunt moved to a 1-1 record after their initial win over Northern Nash.
The game's decisive moments were shaped by errors, with Greene Central capitalizing early. Scoring off Hunt's mistakes in the first inning and adding two more runs in the third, the Rams built a 3-0 lead. Hunt's lone run came in the fourth inning, a result of a bobbled double play by Greene Central that could have otherwise ended the inning, highlighting the impact of errors on the game's outcome.
Riley Radford, stepping up to the mound for Greene Central with a record of 1-0, delivered a commendable performance, pitching five innings, allowing three hits and one run, alongside four walks and five strikeouts. Despite throwing 104 pitches, 57 for strikes, Radford's own assessment was modest, "I could have done better for sure, it is what it is." His approach, aiming for the "First pitch, strike," and his noted off-season improvements in "Velocity and Consistency" were crucial to his effectiveness in the game.
Braden Burress contributed significantly from the bullpen, pitching two scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and three strikeouts. His precision, with 18 of his 23 pitches being strikes, secured him a save and underscored the Rams' pitching depth.
Offensively, the Rams faced challenges but managed key moments, with Noah Uzzell standing out by going 2-for-4, the only player on the team to secure multiple hits in a game where six of the twelve Rams managed a hit.
Reflecting on the victory, the significance of overcoming last season's losses to Hunt was clear. Coach Brann acknowledged the psychological aspect, "I was thinking about it for sure, not a lot of teams came into the Ram Pen and got a win. So it felt good to get them back." He also emphasized the value of such games as a benchmark for the team's progress, "It is always a really good measuring stick at the beginning of the year to get us prepared for those dog days."
Looking ahead, the Rams are preparing for their season home opener against North Lenoir, a team that delivered them an 8-1 defeat in their last encounter. Brann framed the upcoming game as "The Battle of Browntown," highlighting the rivalry and readiness, "It is a big matchup... North Lenoir and Greene Central is always a heated rivalry, and we are ready to go."
BATTING
B. Burress 1-1, 4 runs, 1 BB
E. Creech 1-3
W. Radford 1-4, 1 RBI
R. Radford 0-4
C Taylor 1-4
A. Brock 0-1, 1 BB
E Monroe 1-1, 1 run
N Uzzell 2-2
B Anderson 0-3
J Scott 0-3
PITCHING
R. Radford 5.0 IP 3H 1R 4BB 5Ks (Winner)
B. Burress 3.0 IP 1H 3Ks (SV)
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