PITCHING DUEL: Pam Pack drops close league opener

Published 3:02 pm Wednesday, April 6, 2016

MICHAEL PRUNKA | DAILY NEWS BATTLE ON THE MOUND: Tripp Barfield winds up for a pitch against a non-conference opponent earlier in the season. Barfield had a stellar outing on Tuesday, but Southwest Edgecombe pitcher Jarratt Mobley kept Washington’s offense in check to win 1-0.

MICHAEL PRUNKA | DAILY NEWS
BATTLE ON THE MOUND: Tripp Barfield winds up for a pitch against a non-conference opponent earlier in the season. Barfield had a stellar outing on Tuesday, but Southwest Edgecombe pitcher Jarratt Mobley kept Washington’s offense in check to win 1-0.

PINETOPS — The Washington Pam Pack dropped a tough conference opener to the Southwest Edgecombe Cougars by a 1-0 count Tuesday night in Pinetops. Hitting was largely non-existent for either team and the team that took advantage of its few opportunities — the Cougars — emerged the winner.

The game was the quintessential pitcher’s duel as Washington’s junior Tripp Barfield battled the Cougar’s Jarratt Mobley inning by inning. For the game, the winning pitcher and college bound Mobley gave up just one “seeing eye” hit, struck out seven and walked six Pam Pack hitters.

Barfield gave up one unearned run, struck out 10, walked three, and gave up three hits. For this game, it was fitting that a hitter who reached base on a passed ball strike out scored the only run.

The Cougars scored their lone run in the fourth inning when the leadoff batter struck out but reached base on a passed ball. The ball eluded the catcher long enough for the runner to reach second base. The next batter stroked a single to left field, but the runner held at third base. He then scored on a wild pitch to make the score 1-0.

With runners on second and third with one out, Barfield struck out the next two batters to end the inning. The Cougars threatened one more time in the bottom of the sixth inning when they loaded the bases with two outs behind a fielder’s choice, an error on Barfield when he gloved, but could not hold, a bunted pop up down the first base line, and a single. Barfield struck out the next batter to end the threat.

The Pam Pack was poised to score in the third when juniors Matt Black and Cody Godly both walked with two outs, but sophomore Fred Holscher grounded into a fielder’s choice out to end the inning.

Sophomore Chris Sulc reached second base in the fifth inning on an error by the Cougar second baseman. With two outs, Sulc was erased on a grounder to third base as he tried to advance.

The Pack’s best threat to tie the game occurred in the top of the seventh when sophomore first baseman Tyler Harrell picked up the Pack’s only hit on a grounder up the middle. With two outs, sophomore pinch runner Jacob Smith moved around to third after an error on the Cougar shortstop.

Cougar pitcher Mobley then uncorked a wild pitch and Smith raced home in attempt to score. The pitch caromed back to the catcher who flipped to the covering Mobley. Smith was tagged out at home to end the game and preserve the narrow Cougar win.

The young Pack generally played solid defense behind Barfield, and the defense continues to keep the Pack in close ball games. On offense, besides getting only one hit, Washington had some opportunities, but base running blunders cost the boys in key spots.

The Pack was competitive in the game, so the future continues to look promising as the team moves forward in conference play. The Pack returns to action Friday night against Farmville Central in Washington.