Panthers claw Bears
Published 10:13 am Tuesday, April 11, 2017
AHOSKIE – In a battle of teams fighting to stay out of the cellar of the Northeastern Coastal Conference, Pasquotank County shocked Hertford County here Friday night 7-3.
The Panthers opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning and when the Bears failed to answer in their half, held a 1-0 edge after one.
Pasquotank added two more runs in the top of the second for a 3-0 lead before the Bears finally cracked through. In the bottom of the frame Chuck Lee doubled to right centerfield and went to third on a Trevor Lee single to left field. Kole Liverman then was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two out. Trent Munford then coaxed a bases-loaded walk from Panther starter Jonathan Lamberson, scoring Chuck Lee. The Bears looked for more, but a ground out ended the inning and it was 3-1, Pasquotank.
Hertford County’s Trent Munford pitches in a recent Northeastern Coastal Conference baseball game. The junior righthander surrendered eight hits and had five strikeouts, but the Bears still fell to Pasquotank at home on Friday, 7-3. | Dynamic Photo / William Anthony
The Bears pulled within a run in the bottom of the third inning. Evan Lassiter reached second base on an outfield error. Chuck Lee then walked, right before Coach Chris Towell called for the double-steal, moving both runners into scoring position. Lassiter then scored on Trevor Lee’s RBI groundout, but Hertford County could get no more and trailed by a single digit, 3-2 after three innings.
Pasquotank then padded their lead with three more runs in the top of the fifth to take a 6-2 lead.
Hertford County got its final run in the bottom of the fifth. Tyrek Beverly got an infield single and went to third on a ground out by Edward Bradley. Beverly then scored on Chuck Lee’s RBI single to right. The Bears had halved the score, but the Panthers still led, 6-3.
Pasquotank then added a final run in the top of the sixth, and the four-run margin proved to be enough as the Panthers posted their first win of the 2017 season.
The Bears had five hits. Two each by Chuck Lee and Beverly, with Trevor Lee getting the other Hertford County hit.
Munford pitched four and one-third innings and took the loss. Trevor Lee pitched the final two and two-thirds innings for the Bears.
Hertford County is now 3-10 and 1-5 in conference, but avoided falling into last place because Pasquotank is 1-6. The Bears will play at Bertie tonight (Tuesday) at 6 p.m. before returning home to host Southwest Edgecombe Wednesday at 6.