By By RYAN ROCKWELL, Sports Writer
Pam Pack baseball coach Marvin Burke criticized his team's character and challenged the players to step up following another lack-luster performance. Six Washington errors aided a strong Williamston team in a 13-2 home loss on Tuesday.
Plagued by errors in their first four games, the flood gates opened in the sixth, as two errors, a passed ball and two walks propelled the Tigers to seven runs on just three hits. The game was stopped due to a 10-run rule after six.
Williamston (3-1), ranked first in the Class 1-A Baseball America/N.C. High School Baseball Coaches poll, cruised out to a 6-2 lead before the game-deciding inning. The Tigers took a one run lead in the second on an RBI single into center by Taylor Goodrich.
Things got worse for the Pack in the third. Five straight Tiger hits plated three, as Washington fell behind 4-0. J.J. House batted twice in the inning and led things off with a single into left. Dee Eubanks moved him over, blooping a single over the second baseman, and then both of them scored on a two-RBI single by Brad Roach.
The inning continued as Anthony Williams singled into right and David Francis brought in Roach with a double.
Aaron Mobley got out of the inning, avoiding further damage. Mobley was strong otherwise, giving up four earned runs on nine hits, while striking out seven.
The deficit expanded to six runs in the fourth as Williamston scored twice on Pam Pack errors. With one out and two aboard via a bunt single and a walk, catcher Josh Eddings made a throwing error to third in hopes of catching Trey Warren napping. The throw was well over the head of Travis Rogerson and scored Warren, while allowing House to advance to third.
With Eubanks still at the plate, House would score from third and Eubanks would make it safely to first on an error by the shortstop, Cory Calloway.
The Pack (1-4) showed signs of life in the bottom half, scoring two runs on two hits. Washington had four hits off of Eubanks, two of which came at the hands of John Brown. Brown's triple into right/center scored Mobley, whose single led things off. Brown scored later on a grounder by Eddings.
The sixth inning was a disaster for Washington. Reliever Todd Ange struck out leadoff man, House, but he reached first on a passed ball. Things got worse from there. Eubanks came to the plate and singled and House scored on a throwing error by Mobley, playing first. Then, Roach got his third RBI on a 2-for-3 day at the plate, scoring Eubanks with a hard-hit single into left. Next, with one out and the bases loaded thanks to two consecutive walks, a beautiful squeeze bunt by Matt Lilley scored Roach. Ange failed to corral the slow-roller and a hard running David Francis scored all the way from second, sliding under the tag of Eddings. A fielder's choice scored another run, before a double into center by House scored two more.
The fine pitching of Eubanks, who went 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and three walks, shut down the Pack at the plate. Warren got the final two outs for Williamston in relief duty.
Meanwhile, the Tiger bats ripped the Pack for 12 hits.
Williamston 013 207 -- 13 12 3
Washington 000 200 -- 2 4 6
WP: Dee Eubanks; LP: Aaron Mobley.
Wi -- Trey Warren 1-4 (RBI), J.J. House 2-4 (double, 2 RBIs), Dee Eubanks 2-5, Brad Roach 2-3 (3 RBIs), Anthony Williams 1-4, David Francis 2-3 (double, 2 RBIs), Taylor Goodrich 2-3 (RBI); Wa -- Aaron Mobley 1-3, John Brown 2-3 (triple, RBI), Jock Moore 1-2.