Menu

Tyler Parks

Post 45 logo for web

Post 45’s season ends with 11-inning loss in Southeast Regional

, , , , , , ,

ASHEBORO – It took most of Saturday night before Randolph County Post 45 was dismissed from the Southeast Regional.

The host team battled for 11 innings with Florence (S.C.) Post 1 before suffering a 5-4 loss at McCrary Park.

“We’ve been playing all night,” Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said. “This was a classic. Our guys sucked it up and played.”

Florence (29-5) is unbeaten in the double-elimination regional and will play Fuquay-Varina Post 116 (30-6) at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. If Fuquay-Varina wins, another winner-take-all game will follow.

Post 45 ended the season with a 25-8 record, going 2-2 in regional play for the second year in a row.

This one came with an array of twists and turns.

“I thought for sure we were going to win it,” shortstop/pitcher Hunter Atkins said. “That’s how it goes. There was ups and downs.”

Post 1’s Josh Williams tripled to begin the 11th and scored on Noah Moore’s sacrifice fly.

Post 45 tried to match it, with Carter Brown starting the bottom of the inning with an infield single and moving to second on Caleb Dunn’s sacrifice bunt. Tanner Marsh drew a two-out walk and then a wild pitch moved up the runners before Atkins walked. Tyler Parks, who held the hero’s tag several times during the game, fouled out to end it.

“You can’t ask for anything else out of your team,” Parks said.

Atkins threw 87 pitches, the most he has thrown in a game at any level. He struck out seven in six innings of relief.

“We played a baseball game here and everybody was into it,” Pugh said. “I would much rather go out in a game like this than get beat 7-1. … We were capable of winning this tournament.”

Post 45’s dramatics cranked up in the fifth inning. Florence reliever Collin Minshew walked Marsh and Atkins before Parks lofted a home run to left field to put Randolph County ahead 4-3.

Marsh pitched five-plus innings, giving up singles to the first two Post 1 batters in the sixth. Atkins worked out of the jam.

“You had to be tough (in this game),” Atkins said. “You couldn’t be mentally soft.”

Parks, the third baseman, had spectacular glove work in the seventh after Post 1’s Collin Minshew led off with a double. Parks made a sliding catch of Jackson Moore’s foul popup for the first out. Minshew scored on a two-out wild pitch, but Parks’ play might have prevented a big rally.

Parks was at it again in the 10th, starting a double play with a nifty stab and throw after the first batter reached on a single.

Atkins led off the bottom of the 10th with a double and Parks was intentionally walked, but Post 45 couldn’t produce the winning run.

Randolph County’s Pierce Leonard went 3-for-4 with a walk. Parks and Brown each had two hits.

Earlier, Williams hit his second home run of the regional to open the scoring. Zach Hunt rapped a two-run double in the third.

Post 45 put its first two batters in the third inning on base with singles by Alex Martinez and Marsh. But Florence right field tracked down Atkins’ deep drive and Parks grounded into a double play.

Randolph County loaded the bases with one out in the fourth and scored on Dunn’s walk, but another double play ended the threat.

This marked the first extra-inning game in the regional.

In Saturday’s first game, Fuquay-Varina drilled West End (Va.) Post 361 by 14-2 in a game reduced to five innings by the mercy rule.

Post 45 Hunter Atkins swings in June2023 v Cleveland County

Post 45 blasts off, keeps season going in Southeast Regional

, , , , , , , , , ,

Hunter Atkins, above, and several of his Randolph County Post 45 teammates had strong offensive games in Friday’s Southeast Regional game. (Randolph Record file photo)

ASHEBORO – Hunter Atkins drove in three runs and six of his Randolph County Post 45 teammates racked up two runs batted in a 17-1 whipping of Owensboro (Ky.) Post 9 in Friday afternoon’s elimination game of the Southeast Regional at McCrary Park.

The American Legion baseball game ended after five innings. Post 45 (25-7) scored in every inning, including seven runs in the top of the fifth.

For the second year in a row, Randolph County has advanced to the second-to-last day of the regional. It will be one of four remaining teams when Saturday’s action begins at 4:30 p.m.

Tanner Marsh, Tyler Parks, Josh Meadows, Connor Adams, Carson Whitehead and Pierce Leonard all knocked in two runs. Adams had three of Randolph County’s 10 hits and he also scored three runs. Marsh rapped two doubles.

Post 45 drew six walks and had six batters hit by pitches.

Braxton Walker pitched the first four innings and Drew Harmon threw in the fifth for Post 45.

Owensboro finished with a 21-12 record.

The Randolph County / Owensboro game was the first of three games on Friday’s schedule. Post 45’s opponent Saturday will be the loser of Friday’s nightcap between Florence (S.C.) Post 1 and West End (Va.) Post 361.

Post 45 Pierce Leonard batting spring2023

Returnees help Post 45 hit early groove

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pierce Leonard takes a swing for Randolph County Post 45. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Randolph County Post 45 has been off a strong start to the American Legion baseball season.

The team has a good core of returning players who’ve produced across the first couple of weeks of the season.

Post 45 had a 7-1 record – capped with a 5-4 victory at Davidson County last week – before a five-day break in the schedule. The team is slated to be back in action this week.

The lone loss came by a 3-2 score at Rowan County. Twelve days later, Post 45 avenged the loss with a 10-5 home victory.

Tyler Parks drove in four runs in that triumph, while Ethan Frye and Braylen Hayes homered. Samuel Asbill was the winning pitcher.

Parks, Hayes, Tanner Marsh, Adam Cole, Josh Meadows, Drew Harmon, Connor Adams, Alex Martinez and Robert Garner are returnees from the 2022 team who’ve been key contributors this season.

Hayes homered twice as part of an 8-RBI night and Marsh scored four runs in a home romp past Davidson County. Meadows homered in a game at Mocksville-Davie County.

Cole won’t be with the team much longer as he reports for classes this month at East Carolina, where he’ll join the football program. Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said he welcomed Cole’s participation this spring even though he knew it would be on a short-term basis.

Outfielder Carter Brown, since helping Uwharrie Charter Academy to a Class 1-A state championship, has been produced upon joining Post 45. He drove in three runs in the Rowan County and Davidson County games.

Pitcher Drake Purvis, who was coming off surgery and didn’t pitch until late in the high school season for Randleman, has been a boost to the pitching staff along with high school teammate Austin Lemons.

Other Post 45 newcomers include former Randleman standout Hunter Atkins plus Ethan Frye and Pierce Leonard from Eastern Randolph’s team.

Because of delayed completion of renovations at McCrary Park in Asheboro, Post 45 has played home games at Randleman High School. The team has practiced at McCrary Park and should be playing games there by the end of next week. Last Wednesday’s home game against Mooresville was cancelled because of weather-related concerns.

SWR baseball Tyler Parks throws March2023

Parks keeps producing for Cougars in baseball

, , ,

Tyler Parks of Southwestern Randolph makes a throw in the field earlier this season. (Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – Tyler Parks is trying to make the most of his final games in high school baseball.

The Southwestern Randolph senior has quite a bit ahead of him, but there are immediate matters that are important for now.

“I just try to live in the moment and enjoy high school and not really think ahead,” Parks said. “I’m trying to just have as much fun as I can right now. Hopefully, we can get to win some games and that will be a whole lot more fun for me.”

Parks, an infielder, is a North Carolina signee, so Division I baseball is in his future.

“He’s relaxed,” Southwestern Randolph coach Ethan Parks said. “He’s not worried about being the Carolina guy.”

Parks, who also has played for Randolph County Post 45 on the American Legion level, said he knows his status might gain him extra attention from opposing pitchers. He tries to stick with what works for him.

“The more I see pitching, the better I feel at the plate,” he said. “My pitch selection, going up there and finding the best pitch to hit, not wasting that pitch. It’s not settling for something I don’t really want to hit.”

Southwestern Randolph senior Tyler Parks (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record)

Parks’ numbers look good going toward the final stretch of the season, with a .434 batting average and team-best marks in on-base percentage (.565) and runs batted in (22). He has homered twice, belted five doubles, scored 20 runs and recorded 11 stolen bases.

“He has been consistent,” Marsh said.

That has come with holding a key spot in the heart of the team’s lineup.

“I see a lot of off-speed. That’s normal. That’s going to happen,” Parks said. “It’s a little different. Sometimes it’s tough.”

Parks has played shortstop and occasionally been a pitcher for Southwestern Randolph. On past summer teams, he usually played as a third baseman, second baseman or outfielder.

The Cougars entered the final week of the regular season with a 9-10 overall record. A four-game winning streak ended with last week’s 9-1 non-conference home loss to state power Orange.

“I think we’ve just got to find a way to put it together,” Parks said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys in the mix. Find a way to play clean defense and put the bats together and get it all rolling.”

Wheatmore girls soccer Summer Bowman v East Davidson 2022

Prep Roundup: Homers highlight baseball action; Cougars stay unbeaten in softball

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wheatmore’s Summer Bowman, shown here during the 2022 postseason, continues to be a force on the school’s girls’ soccer team. (Randolph Record file photo)

Home runs proved big for several Randolph County baseball teams last week.

Austin Lemons homered in Randleman’s 11-6 home victory against Uwharrie Charter Academy in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. Troy Carver homered for UCA.

In the rematch, Lemons struck out 14 in a complete game as the Tigers won 5-0 on the road. Caleb Dunn supplied three hits and John Kirkpatrick drove in two runs.

In between those games, Dunn homered in Randleman’s 5-2 home victory against Southeast Guilford.

Randleman is playing this week in a tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

** Southwestern Randolph’s Adam Cole and Tyler Parks homered in both PAC games against Eastern Randolph.

In the first meeting, Eastern Randolph routed host Southwestern Randolph 14-5 as Ethan Frye scored three runs. The Cougars got revenge with Friday’s 11-0 road whipping, aided by Jonah Campbell’s seven-hitter with nine strikeouts.

** Trinity and Providence Grove also split PAC meetings.

Trinity won 7-2 at home with Cade Hill knocking in three runs and Jake Little homering.

Providence Grove avenged the loss with Friday’s 10-3 home result behind Andrew Canter’s six innings of work on the mound without giving up an earned run and Jayten Beasley’s three runs batted in. Trinity’s Jacob Proctor had a two-run homer among his three hits.

** Asheboro’s Davis Gore had a two-run home run in Asheboro’s 15-8 non-conference triumph at Southwestern Randolph. Tanner Marsh helped the Blue Comets with three hits, including a pair of doubles, and scoring three runs and Amare Godwin drove in four runs.

Josh Meadows smashed a three-run homer and Marsh belted a two-run shot in Asheboro’s 6-3 home victory against Central Davidson in Mid-Piedmont Conference action.

** Wheatmore upended host Central Davidson 7-1 with Parker Kines working six innings without permitting an earned run in the non-league matchup.

Softball

Southwestern Randolph moved to 11-0 overall going into spring break.

The Cougars are more than halfway through their Piedmont Athletic Conference schedule with a 7-0 league mark. Next week, the have a home rematch with defending PAC champion Providence Grove.

Southwestern Randolph topped Uwharrie Charter Academy 4-3, with Carleigh Whitson and Maddie Varner both driving in two runs in their first game of last week.

When Southwestern Randolph flattened host Asheboro 14-0, Ky Perdue had two triples and scored two runs. Aylssa Harris was the winning pitcher with nine strikeouts in the five-inning game.

The Cougars capped another perfect week by winning 19-0 at Trinity in three innings.

Southwestern Randolph is off until April 11, when it takes on second-place and defending PAC champion Providence Grove at home.

** Eastern Randolph edged host Providence Grove 4-3 with Skylar Pugh holding the Patriots to one earned run. Providence Grove’s Emma Mazzarone homered and struck out 10 batters.

In Eastern Randolph’s 2-1 non-conference escape at Northern Guilford, Addie Flinchum recorded 14 strikeouts with two walks.

Then the Wildcats won again by defeating visiting Randleman 9-4 with Ziera Watson driving in three runs and posting three hits. Pugh struck out 14 and walked four.

** Providence Grove got back on track in a 17-1 pounding of visiting Trinity as Ruby Caudle struck out 11.

Then the Patriots returned to PAC play and Mazzarone homered twice and tripled while throwing a five-inning no-hitter with 15 strikeouts at Wheatmore. She walked one while facing 17 total batters.

** Wheatmore’s Carmen Turgeon struck out 13 in five innings of a 13-0 blistering of visiting Trinity.

Wheatmore had a different type of game with a 12-10 non-conference victory in nine innings at Southeast Guilford. The Warriors posted eight runs in the seventh inning,

** Uwharrie Charter Academy fell 10-9 at North Stanly despite Molly Bulla’s homer and double.

Girls’ soccer

Undefeated Wheatmore had a rare close game with last week’s 1-0 victory at North Davidson on Summer Bowman’s goal.

In 11 games, that’s the only outcome decided by fewer than six goals.

Then the Warriors won 9-0 at Southwestern Randolph and 9-0 against visiting Gray Stone Day School.

Southwestern Randolph was on both ends of nine-goal margins. The Cougars defeated host Eastern Randolph 10-1 behind Macy Allred’s four goals. Two nights later came the loss to Wheatmore.

Eastern Randolph baseball coach Brent Haynes

New Eastern Randolph baseball coach holds ties in region

, , , , ,

RAMSEUR – Brent Haynes figured that he would land a job as a head coach for a baseball team when the right opportunity came around.

Eastern Randolph athletics director Foster Cates had the same thing in mind for Haynes.

So this week, Haynes begins his first season as coach of the Wildcats.

“I’m pumped up. I’ve always wanted to have my own program,” Haynes said. “To have the opportunity present itself is pretty exciting for me.”

Eastern Randolph was in need of a coach last summer after Mitchell Frazier stepped away.

“I had been telling (Haynes) that when we had an opening that I would be calling him,” Cates said. “And I did.”

Haynes, 35, is a Southern Alamance alum and a former pitching coach with the Patriots. He also has coached with Impact Baseball and, most recently, Dirtbags, a pair of prominent travel ball programs.

As a player in high school, Haynes was a pitcher and third baseman for Southern Alamance. In his junior season in 2005, the Patriots won the Class 3-A state championship and he was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the title series.

“It’s not a surprise to me (that he has a head-coaching role),” said Southern Alamance coach Jason Smith, who coached Haynes in high school. “In high school, he was always a leader and a thinker.”

Haynes played collegiately for Young Harris in Georgia and for Mount Olive. From there, his coaching roles have included multiple stints with Southern Alamance, a couple of years as Guilford Tech’s pitching coach and a season at Chapel Hill High School.

He coached a Dirtbags age-group team for several years as it rose through the ranks, including last summer. Infielders Hunter Atkins of Randleman and Tyler Parks of Southwestern Randolph played for Haines’ team with the Dirtbags.

Those relationships remain in place.

“He came up with our group, just a great guy, great coach,” Atkins said. “I love talking to him. I helped him with the field over there (at Eastern Randolph) and he helped me with some pitching.”

Haynes had been teaching at Southern Alamance Middle School before taking a spot this school year as a physical education teacher at Eastern Randolph.

The Wildcats were 9-17 overall and 4-8 in the Piedmont Athletic Conference last year. Eastern Randolph hasn’t had a winning season since going 15-9 in 2017.

“I think we’ve got a chance to be pretty good,” Haynes said. “We’ve got a good mixture of some seniors and some underclassmen who are going to be in the lineup every day.”

Post 45 player Alex Martinez in Aug2022

Post 45 could have core of roster back next year

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Alex Martinez, shown here batting for Randolph County Post 45 during the Southeast Regional earlier this month in Asheboro, could be among the team’s returning players for 2023. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

 

ASHEBORO – When the season ended for Randolph County Post 45 earlier this month, it was a downer.

The team lost back-to-back games to be eliminated from the Southeast Regional in American Legion baseball in its home ballpark.

Yet there might have been a ray of hope regarding the future that day at McCrary Park.

“Only three of our 17 players are gone,” Randolph County manager Ronnie Pugh said. “We could have a lot of these guys back.”
Post 45 ended up with a 31-13 record this year. It was an automatic regional entrant based on its role as the host team.

Given the experience on Randolph County’s team, it might have seemed strange that only three of the players will age out. Pugh said that trio is right fielder Blake Marsh, second baseman Tatum Marsh and catcher/utility player Trey Way. All three of them were pitchers as well.

Granted, those are significant losses because all three usually occupied spots within the top five pegs in the batting order.

Blake Marsh (Catawba) and Tatum Marsh (Brunswick Community College) spent the 2021-22 school year at post-secondary school stops, while Way was a 2022 senior on Randleman’s second consecutive Class 2-A state championship team. Way is beginning his freshman year at Virginia Tech.

Several other Post 45 players will be heading to post-high school programs during the school year that’s just starting. That includes center fielder Braylen Hayes at UNC Greensboro, catcher Alex Martinez at Brunswick Community College and pitcher Robert Garner at Wake Tech.

Other Post 45 starters are rising high school seniors. That list includes left fielder Adam Cole (Southwestern Randolph), third baseman Tyler Parks (Southwestern Randolph), shortstop Tanner Marsh (Asheboro) and first baseman Josh Meadows (Asheboro). Several other players still in high school – such as Grant Little (Uwharrie Charter Academy), Drew Harmon (Montgomery Central) and Connor Adams — were part of this year’s postseason contributors.

In some cases, the 2023 college players or high school seniors might opt for other summer destinations rather than American Legion baseball.

After losing the Area 3 title game to Rowan County, Post 45 went 2-2 in both the state tournament and the Southeast Regional.

“We’ll get back out there and start recruiting,” Pugh said of encouraging eligible players to participate in American Legion baseball.

So there would be a strong quest for Post 45 to contend for a spot in the 2023 American Legion World Series in Shelby.

Earlier this month in Shelby, Troy Post 70 became the first Alabama entry two win the American Legion World Series since 1967 by defeating two-time defending champion Idaho Falls (Idaho) Post 56 in the championship game.

Camden (S.C.) Post 17, which won the Southeast Regional in Asheboro, went 1-2 in World Series bracket play and failed to advance to the semifinal round. Camden’s lone victory came against eventual champion Troy.

Post 45 Tyler Parks catch in states

Post 45 fades away in state tournament

, , , , , , , ,

Third baseman Tyler Parks of Randolph County Post 45 makes a catch on a popup during the first day of the American Legion state tournament. Shortstop Tanner Marsh, right, and left fielder Adam Cole, back, also pursue the play. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Randolph County’s season will continue in Southeast Regional on home field

BUIES CREEK – It started swell and ended with a thud for Randolph County Post 45 in the American Legion baseball state tournament this week.

Post 45 was the lone undefeated team in the eight-team tournament through the first two days. By the time the first semifinal ended Friday, Randolph County had been eliminated.

Queen City topped Post 45 by 6-1 at Campbell University.

But unlike other teams that fail to win the tournament, Post 45 has more games to play.

Randolph County (29-11), as the host team, will play in the eight-team Southeast Regional that begins Wednesday at McCrary Park in Asheboro. Post 45 has a 6:30 p.m. game against the South Carolina state champion on the opening night of that five-day event.

Wilmington Post 10, which drubbed Fuquay-Varina 14-4 in the second semifinal in the North Carolina tournament, is slated to take on Queen City (24-8) in Saturday afternoon’s title game with a berth in the multi-state Southeast Regional at stake.

Following a 12-game winning streak, Randolph County lost three of five games during an eight-day stretch.

In the state tournament, Post 45 was tied with Fuquay-Varina and Cherryville after the pool play, all with 2-1 records. Only two could advance to the semifinal round, with Randolph County dubbed the No. 1 seed from the pool based on the fewest runs allowed in the first three games. Fuquay-Varina also advanced.

It turned out to be back-to-back losses for Post 45, which fell 7-3 to Cherryville on Thursday. Starting pitcher Trey Way took the loss. He also provided a run-scoring double, while Alex Martinez had an RBI single for Post 45.

Randolph County began the tournament with Tuesday’s late-night triumph against host Fuquay-Varina. The 6-0 result came behind Robert Garner’s 6 1/3 innings of pitching combined with Tanner Marsh’s two RBI, Josh Meadows’ triple and Adam Cole’s two hits.

Post 45 kept the momentum going Wednesday afternoon by defeating Hope Mills 6-1 behind solid pitching from Blake Marsh, Parks and Connor Adams. Parks and Cole both drove in two runs during a five-run third inning.

Post 45 Tanner Marsh pitching

Right on time: Post 45 hits stride

, , , , , , , , ,

Tanner Marsh has been a key factor as a shortstop and pitcher for Randolph County Post 45. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Randolph County roars into postseason on hot streak

ASHEBORO — It took a little time for Randolph County Post 45 to figure it out.

The timing, though, is ideal.

The American Legion baseball team has been riding a hot streak that began with the second part of the regular season and has extended into the postseason.

“We’re coming together as a team and understanding how to play with each other,” outfielder Adam Cole said.

That tends to be the sentiment.

“We started connecting,” said shortstop Tanner Marsh. “Really got to know each other. Just being around each other and getting to know each other makes baseball more fun.”

Randolph County is 27-8 and secured a spot in the North Carolina state tournament by sweeping Kannapolis Post 115 in a best-of-5 Area 3 semifinal series, capped with Monday night’s 15-2 road victory. 

Post 45 has won 17 of 19 games after a rather mundane start to the season.

There’s a winner-take-all Area 3 title game vs. Rowan County at 7 p.m. Friday at Catawba College in Salisbury. The state tournament is next week in Buies Creek.

Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh has finally had roster stability, something that has taken time.

Outfielder Braylen Hayes and utility player Trey Way arrived from Randleman’s Class 2-A state championship team. First baseman Josh Meadows is on board after a broken hand during the high school season with Asheboro. Third baseman Tyler Parks out of Southwestern Randolph missed the Area 3 quarterfinal series last week because he was with a travel ball team, but he’s on board the rest of the way with Post 45.

“Our team chemistry is there,” said Parks, who missed about 10 of Randolph County’s games. “The more we play together, the more we learn about each other.”

Way had been with the High Point Hushpuppies in the Old North State League, a college summer circuit, last month. But the rising Virginia Tech freshman said his college coaches wanted him to get more plate appearances, so switching to Post 45 made sense.

“We have a lot of good players,” Way said. “It just took a couple of games to learn to play together. I think it’s clicking now, so I can’t wait to watch what this team can do.”

Pitcher Grant Little out of Trinity has been dealing with a shoulder ailment, but the pitching staff otherwise looks rather stocked.

Pugh said he hopes a challenging schedule has prepared Post 45 along the way.

“We played probably our best schedule we’ve ever had, and that might have played into it,” he said of some of the early defeats.

Cole, a returning player with Post 45, said it was a bit startling with how the opening weeks of the season went.

“I didn’t expect that at all,” he said, then noting the turnaround. “This is Post 45 baseball right here.”

Now it’s a matter of keeping it going.

“I don’t want to get our heads too big,” Tanner Marsh said.

 In cruise control

Randolph County won three games shortened by the mercy rule in the best-of-5 semifinals, topping Kannapolis by 11-1 and 12-0 at McCrary Park on the weekend.

In Monday’s series clincher, Blake Marsh was the winning pitcher in his first start on the mound this season. Marsh also drove in two runs along with Hayes, Drew Harmon, and Tatum Marsh.

In Saturday night’s Game 1, Hayes went 3-for-4, and Tanner Marsh, who pitched five innings, homered. 

On Sunday night, Hayes smashed a grand slam in a 10-run third inning, drilling the first pitch from Kannapolis reliever Jack Brandle. Starting pitcher Robert Garner allowed one base runner in four innings. Hayes and Harmon each had two hits.

In the quarterfinals, Post 45 rolled to 14-0 and 9-0 victories against Mooresville Post 66 in the best-of-3 series. Due to field availability in Asheboro, Game 1 was played at Mooresville, with Post 45 using Way’s 3-for-4 effort at the plate along with four runs batted in from both Harmon and Tanner Marsh. Garner threw four innings, and Hayes worked the fifth to complete the five-inning romp.

In Game 2 at McCrary Park, Randolph County rode the pitching of Way, Blake Marsh, and Connor Adams to secure another shutout and clinch the series. Blake Marsh supplied a three-run triple in the second inning after Post 45 scored twice in the first inning on Tanner Marsh’s run-scoring double and Way’s RBI single. Cole and Tatum Marsh had two-out singles in the third to stretch the gap to 8-0. Carson Whitehead’s single drove in a fifth-inning run.