PILOT MOUNTAIN — East Surry dropped a low-scoring game to North Wilkes on April 19.
The visiting Vikings scored two early runs across the second and third innings, then neither side crossed home plate for the rest of the game. The Cardinals finished with three hits, while the Vikings tallied five in the Foothills 2A Conference game.
Elise Marion pitched a complete game for the Cardinals with eight strikeouts and five hits allowed while not giving up any bases on balls. Despite the pitcher’s strong performance, untimely errors proved costly for the Cardinals.
North Wilkes (10-5, 5-4 FH2A) went hitless in the first inning, then the second inning’s leadoff batter reached first on an error. North followed the error with a single. East Surry sent the next three batters back to the dugout, but not before the visitors scored the game’s first run.
The Vikings’ leadoff in the third inning also got on base, this time with a single, but another single paired with a Cardinal fielding error allowed the visitors to double their lead.
East Surry (6-10, 5-5 FH2A) didn’t record its first hit until the bottom of the fourth inning. That honor went to Emma Kate Clement after hitting a ground ball up the middle of the field, but she was left on base.
Maggie Clement led off the fifth inning by hitting an infield grounder and beating the throw to first. Maggie was called out at second on a fielder’s choice hit by Audrey Hiatt, but Hiatt moved to second when Josie Baker was walked then stole third base. Hiatt looked to go home on a bunt attempt, but was instead picked off retreating to third base for the inning’s final out.
East Surry’s defense limited North Wilkes to just one baserunner across the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
The Cardinals’ offense then returned to scoring position in the sixth inning.
East opened the inning with a ground out before Addy Sechrist got things going after reaching first on an error. Lilly Brinkley laid down a bunt to move Sechrist to second, then beat the throw to first to put two runners on base. Both Cardinals were ready to advance on contact but were left stranded after a pair of flyouts.
The Cardinals went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the seventh.
Both East Surry and North Wilkes are still jockeying for position in the FH2A standings entering the final week of the regular season. West Wilkes leads the conference at 10-0, while Forbush sits in second at 7-2, followed by North Wilkes at 5-4, East Surry at 5-5, Surry Central at 4-6, North Surry at 3-8 and Wilkes Central at 0-9.
Pitching
North Wilkes
Jaidyn Blankenship — 7 IP, 5K, 1 BB, 3H
East Surry
Elise Marion — 7 IP, 8K, 5H, 2R
Scoring
East Surry — 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0 — 2
Surry Central — 0, 0, 0, 3, 0, X, X, X — 3
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