Chargers sweep Hornets in Big Eight

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DURHAM — Northwood continued to surge late up the 3A Big Eight Conference standings with a sweep of Durham Hillside last week in area baseball action.

The Chargers (9-3, 14-8) routed Hillside 14-4 in Durham on Thursday night behind a combined one-hit effort of Jason Sczcypinski and Mason Bae.

Sczcypinski picked up the win on the mound after working three innings and allowing one hit, three runs, five walks, and striking out three.

Bae notched the save after working the final two frames and yielding no hits, one unearned run, two walks and fanning four.

Northwood scored five runs in the top of the first before adding three more in the second, and one more in the third to go up 9-2. The Chargers plated five more in the fourth to pull away for the 14-4 triumph in five innings.

Deuce Powell had a big day at the plate offensively for Northwood as the junior went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI while Sczcypinski was 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI, Hitt 2-for-2 with three runs, an RBI, two walks, and two stolen bases.

Also at the plate for the Chargers, Michael Posse was 1-for-3 with a run, three RBI, a triple and two walks, Landon Johnson 1-for-2 with an RBI, Tyler Johnson 1-for-3 with three runs, two RBI, a triple, a stolen base and a walk, and Beau Weathers 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a double.

Tyler Spruill was 1-for-2 with a walk, two runs, an RBI and a homer to lead Hillside offensively while Amaree Leak was 1-for-2 with a triple and Cameron Ponton 1-for-3 with a double.

Josephus Shabazz took the loss on the mound after working 1.2 innings and allowing six hits, eight runs (five earned), four walks and striking out three. Jordan Grafton hurled the final 3.1 innings and yielded five hits, seven runs (two earned), three walks and fanned one.

A day earlier in Pittsboro, Northwood had to fight off a tough effort from Hillside which scored a single run in each of the opening three frames to go up 3-0.

The Chargers, however, would explode for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth before adding four more in the fifth to race in front 11-3 on the way to the six run victory.

Posse had another big game for the locals as the sophomore slammed a homer, scored to runs, drove in four, stole a base and walked in a 2-for-3 outing.

Quin Powell chipped in a 2-for-3 day with two runs, an RBI, a walk and a triple for the Chargers while Weathers was 1-for-1 with two runs, two RBI, a triple and a walk, Deuce Powell 1-for-1 with a run, three walks and two RBI, Tyler Johnson 1-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base, Luke Popp 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Hitt 1-for-4.

Popp picked up the win on the mound for the Chargers after hurling six innings and scattering five hits, allowing five runs (three earned), walking three and striking out 10. John Kurz collected the save after working the final frame and allowing a walk and fanning one.

The Hornets were paced at the plate by Shabazz who went 2-for-4 with a run while Maliek Powell was 1-for-2 with a run, an RBI, a walk and a triple, and Leak 1-for-3 with two runs.

Spruill took the loss for Hillside after hurling three innings and allowing five hits, six runs, six walks and fanning two.

Collin McMillen worked three innings and yielded four hits, five runs (four earned), a walk and struck out three.