Old North State All-Star game ends in draw in front of packed house

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RAMSEUR — The first Old North State Baseball League All-Star game, played in front of a huge crowd Saturday night at I. Fletcher Craven Stadium in Ramseur, featured top players from both the Eastern and Western Division participating in a marathon affair lasting over three hours before the contest was eventually called after 10 innings with the teams having to settle for a 3-3 standoff.

Each squad used a total of nine pitchers, with the Eastern team out-hitting its Western counterpart 7-6, but West hurlers registered a total of 16 strikeouts while issuing 10 walks as compared to East pitchers, who fanned 11 batters while yielding 10 free passes.

The East broke up a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third, plating a pair of runs off Guilford Blueticks’ pitcher Logan Fisher. Tyler Myers (Carolina Coyotes) led off the inning with a single to right and went to third when Justin St. Amour (Randolph Lumberkings) stroked a double into the right field corner.

Myers then dashed home on a wild pitch that advanced St. Amour to third, and the latter came in to score one out later when Dusty Rogers (Randolph Lumberkings) lofted a sacrifice fly to right.

The East added a solo run in the home fourth to go up 3-0 when Chase Hetzel (Carolina Coyotes), later selected as the game’s MVP, walloped a 1-2 offering from Triad Tribe pitcher Hayden Setzer over the fence in right.

The West took advantage of wildness on the part of the Muddogs’ Noah Carter in the top of the seventh to knot the score at 3-apiece. A leadoff walk issued to Jacob Wicker (Triad Tribe) was followed one out later by a walk to Connor McCormick (Market City Carpenters) and a bloop single to left by Henderson Lentz (Triad Tribe) that loaded the bases.

Back-to-back walks issued to Ryan Ballard and Jacob Lott (Market City Carpenters) then forced in a pair of runs before a sacrifice fly to right by Joshua Benefield (Triad Tribe) brought in Lentz with the tying score.

The teams combined to leave a total of 23 runners stranded on base, including 18 in scoring position, while each one managed to pull off a double play.