Spring Creek rallies in 7th, picks up win over N. Duplin

By Cam Ellis
Published in Sports on May 2, 2015 11:16 PM

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cellis@newsargus.com

CALYPSO -- In the beginning of Spring Creek's game against North Duplin, it was the top of the Gators' order that did the damage.

At the end of the game, it was the bottom.

There's a reason that they're 11-5.

In a back-and-forth game that featured a little bit of everything, Spring Creek defeated North Duplin, 8-4, in a Carolina 1-A Conference baseball game Saturday afternoon.

Offense dominated the early half of the game, with both teams scoring four runs in the first three innings.

The Gators got on the board in the top of the first, scoring two runs in the thanks to a single from second baseman Hunter Walker and a home run to center field from first baseman Allen Coor.

It didn't take long for the Rebels to respond, however.

In his first at-bat of the game, North Duplin catcher Cedrick Kornegay took an 0-2 offering from Spring Creek starter Logan Miller and planted it beyond the wall in right center field. Kornegay finished 2-for-4 on the day with a home run and two runs scored.

The two teams took turns swapping the lead the next couple innings.

After Spring Creek failed to score in the top of the second, the Rebels capitalized in their half by scoring twice.

Down 3-2 in the top of the third, the Gators answered by putting up two of their own, this time on a two-run home run from shortstop Chad Spurgeon.

After an RBI double from North Duplin third baseman Bryce Best evened the score at four in the bottom of the third, both pitchers settled in.

Both Miller and Spring Creek reliever Will Rouse pitched well through the middle innings. Miller was especially dominant, striking out 13 Gators in total.

His fatigue showed at the end, however. In the top of the seventh, Miller opened the inning by walking two batters and allowing a double to load the bases with no outs. He struck out a batter, but allowed a tie-breaking RBI bunt single to Will Rouse. Trey Hammonds got an RBI groundout and Kaden Geelen singled in a run before Miller was pulled.

Rouse, Hammonds and Geelen were Spring Creek's 6-7-8 hitters.

"It was great, because we didn't get anything out of them in the first six innings," Spring Creek head coach Heath Whitfield said. "The two bunts they got down were great. That really helped open it up a little bit."

The star for Spring Creek, however, was Spurgeon. Besides going 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI, the senior made a couple sensational plays in the field.

Spurgeon came in to pitch the final 2 1/3 innings in relief and closed the door on the Rebels. He allowed no runs on one single, walked one and struck out three.

"We battled the whole time," Spurgeon said. "We knew it was going to be a dog-fight with them, but we didn't expect it to be 4-4 going into the seventh. It really helped us bond as a team, gutting out a win like that."

The win gives the Gators some breathing room atop the Conference 1-A standings. With three games to play, Spring Creek has a two-game lead over second-place Princeton.

"We needed this," Spurgeon said. "We're three games away and we're trying to win out the rest of the season and get a conference championship."