Gators heat up bats and roll past Eagles

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on April 29, 2012 1:52 AM

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SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek got hot at the plate and never looked back in the rear-view mirror.

The Gators pounded out 13 hits and rolled to an 11-1 win over Rosewood on the Carolina 1-A Conference baseball scene on Friday night.

"I wish I knew what the formula was for our guys to do that every night," Spring Creek head coach Heath Whitfield said. "Most of the time we have to rely on moving runners over and stealing bases, and things like that. Tonight everybody hit."

Rosewood opened the game with a run in the top of the first inning. Matt Shaw led off with a double and scored on a single by Reed Howell.

Spring Creek answered with four runs in the first. Luke Miller and Zack Harrell each singled. Duane Gurganus plated one run with a base hit and Chris Nichols followed with a two-run double.

Corey Howell capped the rally with an RBI double.

The Gators added one run in the third and broke the game open in the fourth inning.

Trey Hammonds drew a walk and moved to second on Luke Miller's single. Harrell followed with a two-run double and later scored on Nichols' productive groundout.

Spring Creek ended the game one inning later. Howell walked and Matt Rogers delivered a single. Hammonds plated Howell with a sacrifice fly. Harrell and Gurganus tallied back-to-back singles and Nichols drew a walk. Chad Spurgeon reached on an error as Harrell crossed the plate with the game-ending run.

"Anytime our guys come out and hit the ball like they did tonight we feel like we have a good chance to win the game," Whitfield said. "We got a quality start from Duane (Gurganus) and we got an early lead which was big."

Gurganus got the mound win. The senior scattered five hits over five innings and allowed just one earned run.

Spring Creek (13-7 overall, 6-2 CC) plays host to Goldsboro on Tuesday night, while Rosewood (5-13, 2-6) entertains North Duplin.