RAMSEUR — Christopher Morgan went four-for-four at the plate to spearhead Jordan-Matthews’ 15-hit assault while J-M pitchers Samuel Murchison and Kevin Cano combined on a two-hitter as the Jets spoiled Eastern Randolph’s Senior Night by soaring past the Wildcats 14-2 in a six-inning run-ruled PAC 7 2A Conference matchup under the lights Tuesday evening on Grady Lawson Field.
Murchison helped his own cause by collecting three hits, including a pair of doubles, while Camden Fuquay and Chris Rios notched two hits apiece as Jordan-Matthews improved to 7-4 in the league standings and 11-8 for the season, whereas Eastern Randolph dropped to 5-6 in the conference and 6-13 overall.
Murchison hurled five-plus innings to gain the win, allowing both Wildcat hits and a pair of earned runs in addition to walking five and fanning seven before Cano came on to record the final three outs, striking out one.
“When we score runs behind our pitchers we’re really tough to beat,” said J-M coach John Will Headen. “I thought we played focused tonight, both at the plate and in the field, and it was exciting to get that many hits in a conference game. Murchison threw well this evening, and when his pitch-count got high Cano came in to finish shutting Eastern Randolph down.”
Wildcats’ starter Colton Craven absorbed the loss after being shelled for eight hits and six runs (three earned) in three and two-third innings on the mound.
Eastern Randolph reliever Nate Canter threw one and one-third innings and was bombed for six hits and seven runs (four earned) while walking one and whiffing one before Mason Canoy completed the final frame, giving up one hit plus an unearned run.
“We’ve struggled all year offensively,” remarked Wildcats’ coach Mike Luther. “After getting 11 hits in our last outing I was hoping we could carry some of that momentum over tonight, but it just didn’t happen. Murchison had probably the best velocity we’ve seen all year, and although we managed to get at least one runner on base every inning but one, we couldn’t string hits together while we hurt ourselves by committing five errors.”
The Jets grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the top of the first as Morgan led off with an opposite-field base hit to right, advanced to second when Murchison grounded a one-out single to left and moved to third on a fielder’s choice prior to scoring on an infield error.
Jordan-Matthews added a solo run in the visitors’ second as Seth Moore reached on a two-out fielder’s choice and came in to score on Morgan’s double into the left field corner.
J-M increased its advantage to 4-0 in the top of the third as Murchison opened the inning with a double into the left field corner and tallied on Fuquay’s opposite-field base hit to right, with Fuquay taking second on the throw to the plate.
Fuquay then went to third on a groundout and came home on Luke Hinshaw’s sacrifice fly to center.
The Jets stretched their lead to 6-0 in the visitors’ fourth as Cano led off with a single to left, went to second on a groundout and advanced to third when Thomas Smith reached on a fielder’s choice.
After Smith stole second, Cano scored on an infield error as Smith moved to third before the latter tallied on Fuquay’s base hit up the middle.
Eastern Randolph plated its two runs in the bottom of the fifth as Michael Glasgow drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches.
After Cade Snotherly coaxed a one-out full-count free pass and stole second, both runners came in to score on a wild pitch.
Jordan-Matthews then sent a dozen batters to the plate in the top of the sixth and tallied eight runs to turn the contest into a rout.
Following singles by Moore and Morgan plus a walk to Smith that loaded the bases with no out, Moore came home on a wild pitch prior to Murchison belting a two-run double up the gap in left-center.
After Fuquay reached on a throwing error that advanced courtesy runner Luke Martinelli to third, Rios drove in the latter with a base hit to center, and following Hinshaw’s infield hit that reloaded the sacks, Fuquay came home when Huston Causey lofted a sacrifice fly to center.
Cano then brought in courtesy runner Landon Vickery with a groundout that moved Hinshaw to third before the latter tallied when Moore raced all the way to second on a throwing error prior to scoring the game’s final run on Morgan’s single up the middle.