Rosewood clobbers Pamlico County, 23-0, in second round play

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 13, 2018 11:06 AM

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Rosewood's coaching staff thought that it might see a conference team in the second round of the postseason.

That didn't happen.

After Pamlico stunned North Duplin, Eagles skipper Jason King opted to give Chance Howard a start on the bump.

The right-hander tossed a one-hitter through four innings as Rosewood pounded Pamlico, 23-0, in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A baseball playoffs Friday evening.

The fifth-seeded Eagles (16-4 overall) travel to fourth-seeded Martin Riverside on Tuesday.

King had planned to start JP Peacock.

"The last time we faced North Duplin was a week ago," King said. "They had seen Kolby [Harris] and Chance, and it was early in the season when they saw JP. So that was the plan.

"Once Pamlico knocked them off, we made a change."

Not a bad change, coach.

Howard struck out the side on nine pitches in the first inning. He sat down the first seven batters he faced before Hunter Potter drew a full-count walk in the top of the third inning.

Wesley Charles-Craft spoiled Howard's no-hit bid with a lead-off single up the middle in the fourth.

"We know they weren't really going to overkill us with their bats," Howard said. "I just wanted to go out there, make them hit the ball, make them do the things they had to do to win.

"I thought they were going to come around."

Pamlico never did.

The Hurricanes put just five runners aboard during the mercy-rule affair. They left the bases loaded in the seventh against Peacock, who logged two strikeouts in relief.

Rosewood struck quickly on offense.

Howard laced a triple into the power alley and tallied the eventual game-winning run on a wild pitch to teammate Tucker Chapin.

Three hits, three hit batsmen and three errors later, the Eagles were in command 7-0. Wyatt Searles smashed a two-RBI single during that stretch.

Searles ended the night 3-for-3 with a walk, four RBI and four runs scored.

"We made good adjustments at the plate...put it in play," King said. "Everything was not a solid hit, but we had runners on base. [We] hit ground balls and some of them worked out for us.

"I feel like if you're consistently putting it in play, good things are going to happen for you."

Rosewood scored three or more runs in each inning and batted around in the first, third and fourth. King's club concluded the night with 17 hits.

Howard went 3-for-5 with two extra-base knocks and three RBI. Chapin turned in a 2-for-4 effort while University of Mount Olive commit Kolby Harris was 2-for-5.

Sophomore Logan Price swatted his first home run of the season -- a two-run blast that cleared the left center-field wall in the third. Rosewood has seven homers as a team this spring.

Tanner Capps (RBI), Will Harris (two RBI), Conner Vernon (RBI), Will Albert (two RBI), Patrick Jones (two RBI) and Max White provided one hit apiece.