By By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
YEATESVILLE — Northside pitcher Eric Daniels turned in a gutsy performance pitching five strong innings for the Panthers, but late inning struggles marred what would have been a brilliant outing.
The Panthers held a 6-2 lead heading into the sixth, but could not hang on to it as Daniels ran out of gas in the final two innings and allowed Halifax to snatch a 7-6 victory en rout to becoming the 2007 Northside Easter Tournament champions on Saturday.
Daniels finished the day throwing seven innings, allowing only four hits while fanning eight batters. At on point he struck out four in a row, but in the end his 11 base on balls proved to be the most telling statistic.
The Panthers’ (7-5) pitcher walked seven batters in final two innings, including the game-winning.
Vikings’ pitcher Brent Caudle came on in relief and pitched 1 2/3 innings to pick up the win.
Northside coach Addison Bass said his team didn’t make the most of its opportunities.
On why he didn’t pull an obviously fatigued Daniels in the sixth inning, Bass said he wanted to give the pitcher a chance to finish what he started.
Leadoff hitter Bradley Slade continued to tear the cover off the ball, as he went 3-3 on Saturday with a single, double and a triple. Slade also had an RBI and stole home in the fifth inning. Slade finished the Easter Tournament going 5-7.
Also providing some punch at the plate was Holden Cox who went 1-3 with an RBI.
Southside 11,
Flora MacDonald 10
Down 10-6 in the seventh inning, Southside pulled off a miraculous comeback to top the Cougars 11-10 on Saturday to take third place in the Northside Easter Tournament.
With the bases loaded and no outs, Fitzgerald Parks knocked a single that drove in two runs to cut the Cougars’ lead to 10-8.
Parks wouldn’t be on base very long, as Brad Boyd launched a triple to right field to bring Southside within a run of Halifax.
With a runner on third, Erik Boyd stepped up to the plate and drove in Boyd with a grounder to short. Boyd was thrown out at first for the second out of the inning.
After Jamie Blackard was hit by a pitch, Kevin Sparks knocked a single setting up Justin Hill to deliver the game-winning run.
Hill smashed a long fly to right that gave the Cougars’ right fielder some trouble, and when he couldn’t come up the catch, Sparks crossed the plate to win the game for the Seahawks (4-8).
Baseball
Northside 000 123 0 — 6 5 1
Halifax 002 003 1 — 7 4 3
WP: Brent Caudle; LP: Eric Daniels
Hitters: N — Bradley Slade 3-3 (2B, 3B, RBI), Will Allen 1-3, Holden Cox 1-3 (RBI); H — Brent Caudle 1-3 (RBI), Nick Short 1-3 (HR), Mike Butts 2-4 (RBI), Chris Clay 1-3)
Flora MacDonald 200 404 0 — 10 10 2
Southside 141 000 5 — 11 11 1
WP: Sam Jarman; LP: Trey Wintree
Hitters: S — Alarie Elks 2-2 (RBI), Fitzgerald Parks 3-5 (3B, 4 RBI, 3 R), Erik Boyd 1-3 (RBI), Kevin Sparks (2-4), Brad Boyd 3B, RBI.
Softball:
Championship game: Currituck 7, Edenton 1.
Consolation game: Northside 8, Kinston 2.