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| Jess Cartner saves a high throw but doesn’t get the call when he attempts a tag. |
The War Eagles came in with at least a share of first place in clear view, but they left with a dispiriting 7-3 loss. It was supposed to be different. They dominated North 13-4 at Rich Park, and North was 4-10 overall and 0-5 in the CPC. But instead of staying in a tie for first, they dropped into a second-place logjam. Though a share of first is still possible, they will likely wind up with the second, third or fourth seed because of Friday’s 3-1 loss to visiting North Davidson, which is tied with West Forsyth for first.
At North Forsyth, Davie sputtered to its fewest runs in six games as pitcher Justin Clayton (2-1) went the distance without issuing a walk.
“It was just one of those eerie games where nothing went our way and everything they did went their way,” coach Mike Herndon said. “You have to take it and learn from it. Maybe we weren’t as focussed as we should have been. They played well. They hit the ball and made plays. They didn’t make them in the prettiest of fashion, but they made them.”
Garrett Benge was 5-0 in his varsity pitching career and came in with an 0.64 ERA through 11 innings, striking out eight and walking one. But Benge was sub-par this time, failing to get out of the second inning. For the first time all year, the staff failed to record more strikeouts than walks.
Davie trailed from the bottom of the first through the end. It banged a hit in the second, third, fourth and fifth, but came away empty handed each time.
“We got the leadoff on three innings in a row and didn’t score,” Herndon said. “We make an error and they score two runs. We make another error and they score. That wasn’t typical of how we’d played all year. It was our worst game in three years. I’ll take the blame for it. Apparently we weren’t prepared nor focussed.”
The loss overshadowed big offensive nights for Benge (3 for 4, two doubles, stolen base) and Jess Cartner (2-4, two RBIs, double). Benge’s sixth straight game with a hit raised his average to .377. Tyler Seaford, a sophomore who was 0 for 2 in his first varsity appearance, went 1 for 3.
N. Davidson 3, Davie 1
Zach White, North’s fourth-year varsity pitcher, spoiled Davie’s Senior Night in usual fashion, striking out 10 in a five-hitter.
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