Published Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:29 AM
Updated Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:30 AM
First baseman Cody Craig reaches to tag a Seahawks’ runner.
Wolves fall to Seahawks, 10-7
It was a difficult outing for Timberland High School, as the Wolves fell to North Myrtle Beach 10-7 in the first round of the playoffs Thursday.
The visiting Seahawks held on to a 4-1 lead in the first two innings before the bat of Timberland first baseman Cody Craig blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the third.
North Myrtle retook a two-run lead in the top of the fifth, but could not break away. Another double blasted into the centerfield gap by Craig, and singles from THS’s Johnny Brinson and Jimmy Lail tied the game at 7 in the bottom of the fifth.
“We fought had to stay with them throughout the night,” THS Head Coach Chris Pond said. “We were behind at times throughout the night, but we always fought back and played a strong game.”
Seven Timberland errors throughout the night, combined with a stand-up triple by the Seahawks, would keep the Wolves from victory. North Myrtle Beach walked away with a win and a trip to the quarterfinals.
“We have some work to do on minimizing errors, which hurt us tonight,” Pond said. “I was happy with the way we pitched and the way we hit tonight. Our biggest concern will be working on making a few mistakes as possible.”
The loss did nothing to dampen the Wolves spirits. As they left the field, Timberland looked toward its next match-up Saturday, against Chapin Eagles.
“It was a tough loss tonight, but we are going to put it behind us and look to our next game against Chapin,” Craig said. “The season is far from over and we plan on winning Saturday.”
Craig’s words held true. The Wolves took a 6-5 victory over the Eagles April 26. Craig singled to drive in the game-winning run.
“Craig has been a big part of why the team has done so well this season,” Pond said. “He’s been able to get the big hits and drive in key runs when we’ve needed him to throughout the season.”
Timberlands’ Brian Welch hit a 2-run double to tie the game at 2 in the second inning and knocked down a 2-run triple in the third. With the game tied at 5 in the bottom of the seventh and two men on, Craig hit a single to drive in the winning run for a 6-5 Timberland victory.