Carolina co-champion takes out KIPP Pride, 10-0
By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on May 13, 2011 1:47 PM
CALYPSO -- Colby Gehron was going to be tough to beat on his own on Thursday evening.
With run support, the task got a lot tougher.
Gehron pitched a complete-game shutout with 10 strikeouts and North Duplin defeated KIPP Pride 10-0 in six innings in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A baseball playoffs.
The Rebels (18-3 overall) entertain Camden County on Tuesday in the second round. North Duplin earned an opening-round victory for the second straight season.
Gehron scattered six hits and didn't allow a walk to earn the win on the mound. He consistently threw strikes to get ahead of hitters and recorded at least one strikeout in each of the six innings. The Panthers didn't record a single fly-ball out.
"Colby, he doesn't throw many balls and he throws to the batter," said Rebels' first-year head coach Brad Lloyd. "He's definitely a great pitcher at getting ground balls and getting outs so we can come in and score. He's definitely someone I want pitching if I'm hitting."
Marcus Kornegay's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning scored Gehron to put North Duplin in front 1-0.
Tyler Potter's RBI groundout in the home half of the second scored Larry White. Potter later came home on a passed ball.
Konner Brock added a sac fly in the bottom of the third inning to increase the lead to 4-0.
"We've got to have it at the plate," said Lloyd. "We can't seem to kick it into the next gear and it's good to see us keep chipping away."
White provided an RBI single and later crossed the plate on an error in the bottom of the fifth inning. Mitchell Thigpen's run-scoring, fielder's choice extended the lead to 7-0. Gehron supplied an RBI double and later scored on a passed ball.
White's infield single in the bottom of the sixth inning scored Ryan Wolfe to end the ballgame. Wolfe and White (two RBI) finished with three hits apiece.