Warriors' offense erupts late against Spring Creek

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on March 7, 2010 1:50 AM

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Eastern Wayne erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth and picked up a season-opening 13-3 win over visiting Spring Creek in six innings on Friday afternoon.

The Warriors led 6-3 entering the home half of the sixth before Jessica Ream's RBI double started the outburst. Lani Fricks later scored on a wild pitch and Ream came home on a run-scoring walk.

Chantrel Reynolds and Sedonia Scott added back-to-back RBI singles and Carissa Turner and Morgan Smith drew run-scoring walks to end the ballgame.

Eastern Wayne (1-0) recorded 13 hits and every batter it sent to the plate collected at least one hit. Scott was the lone Warrior to get mulptiple hits going 3 for 5 with an RBI.

"Offensively, we're way ahead of our defense and as a coaching staff we knew that was going to happen," said Eastern Wayne head coach Tony Parrish. "We hit line drives and we were very aggressive at the plate."

Trailing 6-3, the Gators threatened with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the sixth. Eastern Wayne hurler Lani Fricks got Jordan Cook to ground out to end the scoring chance. Spring Creek left eight runners on base.

"We were looking to score some," said first-year Gators head coach David McSwain. "We had the bases loaded with two outs and had some good hitters coming up and we were looking to put the ball in play. It just didn't quite happen."

Ream, Hannah Grantham and Stephanie Smith delivered three consecutive RBI singles in the bottom of the third to give the Warriors a 6-2 lead.

Katlyn Casey's RBI single to center trimmed the margin to 6-3 in the top of the fourth inning. Casey also had an RBI double in the top of the second inning. The left fielder went 4 for 4 with two RBI.

Brittany Collier went 3 for 3 for Spring Creek (0-1) and pitcher Elizabeth Edwards contributed a pair of hits.

Eastern Wayne pushed across three runs in the home half of the first after Jordan Cook's RBI ground-out in the top of the first gave the Gators a 1-0 lead.

Fricks earned the win on the mound allowing three earned runs with eight strikeouts and a walk. The senior seemed to get better as the game wore on and recorded four of her eight strikeouts over the final two innings.

"She was like that last year early on and later on when it gets warmer I guess she gets a little better," said Parrish. "She threw a lot of strikes and that's her key. When runners get on they've got to earn it."

The Warriors visit West Carteret on Monday while Spring Creek travels to North Lenoir.