WILSON — For three innings here Friday night the East Chatham 10U All-Stars battled host Wilson pitch-for-pitch at the Little League District 6 Tournament opener at Gillette Baseball Complex.
But then a pair of two-run frames in the fourth and fifth innings by Wilson opened things up for the contest got away from East Chatham completely in the top of the sixth when the hosts plated nine more runs en route to a misleading 13-0 victory.
East Chatham was its own worst enemy late in the contest as the locals surrendered 10 walks, hit a batter and committed two costly errors to lead to most of the 13 runs by Wilson.
Conversely East Chatham manged just one hit while striking out eight times and suffering two double plays.
James Wright had the lone hit for the locals in the contest, lining a 1-2 pitch in the third to center. Wright moved to second moments later after Bauer Bowling walked to put runners at first and second with two outs.
Bryce Huneycutt ground sharply to third to end the threat as East Chatham failed to get the break it needed to break the scoreless tie.
Wilson, which had just six hits in the game, plated two runs in the fourth behind an error, two walks and a double.
After East Chatham put two runners aboard in the bottom of the frame behind walks to Duncan Parker and Jack Simpson, the hosts tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth to go up 4-0 behind a triple, two singles and a walk.
Six walks, a hit batter, two errors and two Wilson hits ignited the nine-run uprising in the top of the sixth to push the lead to 13-0 and all but end the contest.
Bowling was the hard luck loser after working four innings and allowing one hit, two unearned runs, and three walks while striking out seven.
On Sunday, East Chatham turned the tide so to speak in crushing Person County in game two of the tournament by a 16-1 count back at Gillette Baseball Complex in Wilson.
The locals erupted for seven runs in the top of the second and never looked back in cruising to the easy win in four innings.
Bowling had a big day offensively for the local 10U All-Stars with a 2-for-2 outing that included three runs scored, a double, two RBI, being hit by a pitch and a walk while Wright added a 2-for-2 day with three runs scored and a walk.
Parker went 1-for-3 with two run scored and a three-run triple to right center in the fifth that plate Bowling, who had led the inning off with a double, and Huneycutt and Finn Sullivan who had both walked, to make the score 15-1. Parker scored on an error in right field to add the final run in the 16-1 triumph while Wright and Peyton Thompson scored the opening two of the six-run frame after walking and coming home on the Bowling double.
Joshua Johnson was also 1-for-3 with two RBI for the victors while Thompson was 1-for-2 with a run.
After wasting a Bowling single in the top of the first, East Chatham starter Finn Sullivan hit a Person County batter after recording a ground out and strikeout. Campbell Parks erased that opposing runner quickly by gunning him down at second after a steal attempt with Huneycutt applying the tag.
East Chatham then exploded for the seven runs in the second behind a walk to Farrell Blackburn, three Person errors, a single from Wright, a two run single from Johnson, walks to Sullivan, Simpson, and again Blackburn, and Bowling being hit by a pitch.
After Person County recorded its lone run in the bottom of the second to close the gap to 7-1, East Chatham plated three more runs in the top of the third to extend the advantage to 10-1. A single by Wright, walks to Bowling and Logan Quiroz, and two Person County errors led to the uprising.
East Chatham finished off the win with its six runs in the fourth to close out the impressive 16-1 triumph.
East Chatham was set to battle Wilson again at 7:30 p.m. on Monday night in a must-win situation.