GREENVILLE — The J.H. Rose summer soccer league is picking up steam and becoming more competitive with each passing week. What started as a coalition of area high schools looking for an early edge heading into next season has quickly become a battle for the top spot.

Washington and Southern Wayne — the only remaining unbeaten teams — shared a pitch for the first time this summer on a brutally hot Thursday afternoon, as the Pam Pack left Greenville with a hard-earned, two-goal victory over the Saints.

Coming off a fourth-place finish playing in the competitive Class 3-A/4-A Eastern Carolina Conference, Southern Wayne brings a gritty, aggressive style of play to the table, one that has earned the Saints a gutsy reputation in the league.

Head coach Jim Kozuch, who spent the first three games passively looking on from the sidelines, allowing his squad to construct plays on their own, was in full coaching form Thursday. Offensively, junior Kyle Hodges created space up front early and had multiple opportunities at net, including a header that came a few fingertips away from putting the Pam Pack up a goal. As both teams traded shots, a Saints’ striker was able to clean up a deflection and slip one just past keeper Will Tate to notch the first goal of the game.

However, seconds later, senior Lupe Barerra fired a bender off the outside of his foot from 20-yards out that curled just past the Southern Wayne goalkeeper’s outstretched hand, quickly tying the game. Just minutes later, Barrera would capitalize off a Hodges throw-in that landed in the box to give Washington a 2-1 lead.

At first glance, the intensity mirrored that of a regular season game. After a scuffle inside the box that was quickly contained by the referee, Hodges cocked back and launched a bullet from the sideline on a throw-in that tipped off the goalie’s fingers and into the back of the net.

Southern Wayne began the second half with a quick goal on a bad-angle shot that slipped past Hodges, but sophomore Eric Ruiz would be in the right place at the right time a couple minutes later, collecting a rebound off a Barrera shot and putting the Pack up 4-2.

With five minutes left, the Saints were able to cut the lead to one, but couldn’t close. As time expired, Kiomar Ruiz took advantage of a one-on-one with a goalie and capped the game off with a well-placed strike, his first of the summer season.

With the 5-3 win, Washington’s 4-0 record makes them the last unbeaten team remaining in the league.