Riley Radford Dominant as Greene Central Holds Off Late North Lenoir Rally, 7-5
Radford Dominant as Greene Central Holds Off Late North Lenoir Rally, 7-5
SNOW HILL — After suffering their first back-to-back losses in more than two years—including a dramatic 5-4 defeat last week at North Lenoir and an uncharacteristic 11-1 setback against Southern Wayne—Greene Central needed a spark. They got it from junior Riley Radford, whose dominant performance on the mound carried the Rams to a thrilling 7-5 victory Friday night over their county rival.
Radford pitched a complete-game gem, striking out 13 Hawks, allowing just four hits, and surrendering five runs—only one earned—in seven gritty innings. At one point, Radford retired 14 consecutive North Lenoir batters, silencing the Hawks’ bats until a furious rally in the sixth inning.
Catcher Will Radford praised his teammate’s stellar performance:
“Riley pitched a heck of a game. He was in a steady rhythm and getting steady outs, throwing a lot of strikes. Hats off to him; that's all you can ask for.”
Greene Central (2-2) built a commanding 5-0 lead through five innings, highlighted by strong offensive contributions from freshman Logan Burress (2-for-3, RBI), senior Elijah Monroe (2-for-3, 2 RBIs), and Will Radford (2-for-3, 2 RBIs, walk).
But North Lenoir (2-1) refused to go quietly. Junior Aiden Clark started the sixth-inning rally by reaching on an error, immediately applying pressure with his speed.
“Aiden Clark been waiting for an opportunity," Hawks head coach Cam Sherrer said. "We gave him a chance. He came off the bench cold. The kid can run. When you got that tool, it puts pressure on the defense.”
After two walks loaded the bases, Garrett Byrd delivered North Lenoir’s first hit—a two-run single to right-center, cutting the deficit to 5-2. Byrd finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Wriston Honeycutt followed with a clutch three-run double, dramatically tying the game at 5-5. Honeycutt ended his night 1-for-3 with a team-leading three RBIs.
With the game suddenly tied and momentum in North Lenoir's favor, Greene Central coach Ben Brann praised how his team responded to adversity:
“We took a non-competitive loss earlier this week. Our energy wasn’t that good nor our intensity, but I told the boys after the game I was proud how we were able to flush that, work hard at practice, and compete.”
In the bottom of the sixth, freshman Sutton Harris reached base on a hit-by-pitch with two outs, setting the stage for Will Radford. Radford promptly drilled a double into the gap, scoring Harris from first for the go-ahead run.
“It was big," Will Radford said. "I knew he had to throw me a fastball for a strike. His curveball wasn’t looking that good, and I was just sitting on it on a 3-2 count. He threw a fastball away, and I just hit it.”
Monroe added a crucial insurance run, singling home pinch-runner Trey Eatmon for a 7-5 lead.
Radford returned in dominant fashion in the seventh, striking out the side to slam the door shut. After the game, Radford spoke about the importance of bouncing back:
“Before the game I knew we had to come out here and we had to win. We could not lose again. I knew I had to come out here and do what I could—throw strikes and get outs and do the small things right. Other than that, just play ball.”
Coach Brann also praised Noah Roberson’s diving catch, a pivotal defensive play that ended a potential late-inning threat:
“It’s really good to see Noah get some success. He works really hard every day, and the last couple of years he's behind some older guys. He plays hard every single day.”
North Lenoir’s Garrett Byrd started on the mound, pitching five solid innings while allowing five hits, five runs (one earned), with three strikeouts and four walks. Honeycutt took the loss in relief, giving up two earned runs on two hits in one inning pitched.
Despite the tough defeat, Sherrer remains optimistic:
“It’s always tough—you never wanna lose, especially games like this. It’s a big game, it’s early, it’s one game. Instead of dwelling how much it doesn't feel good to lose, it’s a good time to learn some things, understand the mistakes we made, and go back and correct them.”
Greene Central travels to North Pitt on Tuesday aiming to carry momentum forward. North Lenoir will visit East Carteret Monday before hosting Midway on Wednesday and Southwest Onslow Friday.
