By By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
Rocky Mount pitcher Benton Moss silenced the Washington batters, while the Gryphons pounced on Pam Pack pitching to earn a 13-2 win in five innings Monday at Washington High School.
Moss threw all five innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four to up Rocky Mount’s record to 4-2.
Freshman Hatteras Brooks picked up the loss for Washington, which has now dropped four straight, to lower its record to 0-4. Brooks allowed seven runs in 2 2/3 innings.
The Gryphons got on the board in the top of the second when William Barringer drove in Chris Pittman on a fielder’s choice to take a 1-0 lead.
In the third inning, Rocky Mount rallied for seven runs to push the game out of reach for the Pack. Brooks started off the inning walking Chris Berry, then let up a double to Ben Fish. One batter later, Dillon Cockrell drove in Berry with an RBI single.
After Cockrell’s base hit, Carter Varnell reached base on an Austin Thompson error, and was joined on the bases by Chris Pittman, who grounded into a fielder’s choice which resulted in an out at the plate.
Rocky Mount would score its next three runs on two wild pitches and an error, and took a 6-0 lead when Barrington drew a bases-loaded walk.
After a Grant Johnson walk, the Gryphons’ Goodwin drilled a ground ball back at Brooks, which bounced off his shin allowing Goodwin to reach first base. The Goodwin hit drove home Barringer, and drove the Pam Pack pitcher out of the game.
Washington’s Cody House would enter the game in relief, allowing one run to end the inning with Rocky Mount holding an 8-0 lead.
Washington was haunted by its defense the entire afternoon, as it finished the game with five errors. Washington’s Vaughn said he is still searching for answers on how to sure up the Pam Pack’s fielding.
The Pack picked up a run in the bottom of the third when Thompson drove in Brooks on a RBI double to make it an 8-1 game. However, the Gryphons piled it on in the fifth.
Again, the combination of walks and errors constantly put the Pam Pack behind the eight-ball, as Rocky Mount’s first four batters of the inning would eventually cross home plate, in its five-run inning.
Three of those runs scored off the bat of Collins Cuthrell, who crushed a Cole Hartley pitch for a triple to right, center field to bring home Barringer, Johnson and Goodwin. Cuthrell would later score on an error for Rocky Mount’s third an final run. Cuthrell finished the game 2-3 with 3 RBIs.
Washington’s Thompson drove in the game’s final run in the fifth, and led the Pack from the plate going 2-3 with 2 RBIs.
After the loss, Vaughn said it will take good pitching to get the Pam Pack back on the right track.
The Pam Pack will be back in action today, when it plays at D.H. Conley.
Rocky Mount 017 05 — 13 7 0
Washington 001 01 — 2 5 5
WP: Benton Moss; LP: Brandon Thomas
Hitters: RM — Brian Goodwin 2-3 (RBI), Ben Fish 2-3 (2B, RBI), Collins Cockrell 1-3 (3B, 3 RBI), Dillon Cockrell 1-3 (RBI), Chris Pittman 1-4); Jacob Duke 1-3 (R), Austin Thompson 2-3 (2 RBI), Gator Moore 1-3, Hatteras Brooks 1-2 (R).