CHOCOWINITY  — He’s a five-tool player who proved to be a triple threat for the Southside baseball team this season as pitcher/leftfielder Terrill Moore powered the Seahawks to their second straight postseason appearance for the first time in school history.
As pitcher, Moore was the staff ace as he went 6-3 with 1.72 ERA and 80 strikeouts, while in the field the Seahawks’ senior played a deep left but used his speed to rob batters of would-be bloop hits and boasted an arm that few chose to test.
In the batter’s box Moore was a waking nightmare to opposing defenses as he had the power to take them deep and the speed to stretch singles into doubles. On the year, Moore finished second on his team in hitting with a .380 batting average, while his three home runs and 14 RBIs were both team-highs.
Moore’s effort led to him being named team MVP along with the Washington Daily News Position player of the Year.
“He was a true triple threat for us,” Southside coach Jeff Carrow said. “When he was on the mound he was very intimidating and did well for us all year long. At the plate, he was a power hitter but once he was on base he had great speed.”
Moore said it was a senior year he will not soon forget.
“It was fun,” Moore said. “It was a nice experience for me and I will never forget it. The guys on the team competed hard every game and we never gave up.”
The combination of all his athletic gifts not only powered his team but also put tremendous pressure on opposing defenses as he stole 12 bases on the season.
“When he hits the ball he hits it hard. He was second behind Blake (Jones) in batting average,” Carrow said. “The overall numbers were outstanding. When he got on the base he’s going to steal. He has great speed, he led the team in steals and home runs.”
The 6-1, 185-pounder has grown on leaps and bounds on the diamond since he first started playing varsity ball in 10th grade. However, Carrow is quick to note that his leadership skills grew as well.
“As far as leadership development, he got better and was real vocal as a junior but he took tremendous strides this year,” Carrow said. “We had a senior meeting before the season to go over my expectations for the team with guys like Trey (Elks), Blake (Jones) and Terrill and he was definitely the leader of the leaders because he is most vocal of the group. I put great pressure on them and he has learned a lot about stepping up.”
Moore’s ability to rise to the occasion not only allowed him to end his Southside career on a high note but also enabled him to begin a new journey at Winston-Salem University where he will look to walk-on to the baseball team.
Carrow said Moore can be as good as he wants to if he remains dedicated.
“If Terrill works hard and stays focused on baseball and his academics he can have a solid college career,” Carrow said. “He has to stay focused on what is important.”