Goldsboro's baseball team ends LONG skid in conference play

By Staff Reports
Published in Sports on April 27, 2016 1:49 PM

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The wait is no more.

Goldsboro High, winless in various conference affiliations for nearly two decades, snapped its streak by registering a 12-9, Eastern Carolina 2-A Conference victory over Kinston High School on Tuesday evening.

The long-awaited conquest moved the Cougars (3-14 overall) to 1-5 in league play this season.

Trailing 6-0 in the bottom of the second inning, the affair resembled many staged over the years on the corner of Lionel and Holly streets -- short and sweet and lopsided in the visitors' favor. But the Cougars rallied, posting a six-spot of their own to tie the contest.

Four more runs came in the third, making the score 10-6.

That set the stage for ace Chandler Patrick.

The sophomore dealt with confidence on the hill, effectively shutting Kinston down in 5 1/3 innings of work. He allowed six hits and three runs -- all earned. The righty also tallied four strikeouts.

He found additional support in the fifth inning as the Cougars plated their final two runs of the afternoon. The frame was part of a comprehensive effort for Goldsboro, one in which each member of the lineup notched a hit.

For skipper Danny Merritt, the victory rendered a swell of pride.

"What's happened in the past doesn't define these kids," Merritt said, "They love the game. They love each other. It's (team chemistry) a pretty incredible thing."

So too were the performances of a capable young group, one which has seven freshmen and five sophomores in the regular rotation.

Cameron Roux led the Cougar charge with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate. He was complimented by senior catcher Thomas Vick, who batted 2-for-5 on the afternoon.

Jon Stevens, headed to North Carolina Wesleyan this fall, upped his batting average to .368 with a 2-for-4 showing in the batter's box. Short stop Brady Morton also went 2-for-3, helping Goldsboro overcome a Kinston ball club that defeated them 11-2 a mere two weeks ago.

"Adversity reveals character," Merritt said.

Peter Mehlhaff, Patrick, Elijah Curtis, Michael Eltz and Jamaal Wilson also contributed at the plate for Goldsboro, which travels to South Lenoir on Friday.

Kinston fell to 5-12 overall.