Golden Eagles may head to playoffs

By Chris  Lane

Correspondent

As baseball and softball seasons reach the midway points, things are starting to take shape for the Pee Dee Academy Golden Eagles.

The first of this past weeks games turned into not a game at all when North Myrtle Beach Christian forfeited the game because of ineligible players. The automatic win gave the Golden Eagles an off day, a region win and a day of rest before their showdown with Dillon Christian.

Five errors in the third inning, among other errors, against Dillon Christian led to six Warrior runs, none of which were earned. Christen Bucy and the defense held Dillon in check the rest of the way, but they were unable to mount a serious rally and were done in with a 7-4 loss.

  Angry, disappointed and upset, they took their game to Bennettsville on Friday for their second match-up with the Dragons of Marlboro. Bucy was again on the hill and pitched what Coach Wes Daniels called, “probably the best game she has pitched all year.” And, the numbers back up the words: A complete game with 13 K’s, zero walks and only three hits allowed in the 9-0 shutout.

“The defense behind her was awesome. We had an eighth grader catching and a girl playing shortstop who does not normally play there and both did brilliantly,” Daniels said after the win. The eighth grader was Lee Pittman who played beautifully behind the plate and went 1-for-3 with the bat. The shortstop was her sister, Alex, who played terrific defense, even throwing one Dragon runner out from the seat of her pants.

The 2-1 week ups the girl’s record to 17-5 on the season and 4-1 in region play.

This week will be a big one for the Golden Eagles as they host perennial power Carolina  Academy at 5 p.m. on Friday and Dillon Christian at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in a game that could very well determine the region champion.

Pee Dee’s baseball team also had a week to remember, as they faced three tough conference games as they attempted to make a move to win their first region title since 1990. And, the first two games would see rival Dillon Christian on the other side. Pee Dee has been a thorn in the side of the Warriors, sweeping them last year in two high-scoring affairs. This time, the scoring was the opposite, but the result was the same.

Kevin Thomas took the hill in the first contest and the Dillon batters were no match. Thomas sat down 11 Warriors via the strikeout and when he needed it, the defense behind him came through. After Brett Hester came up with a huge two-out hit to put the Golden Eagles up, 3-1, the Warriors responded with a bomb to left that looked to tie the score. Cody Gibson did his best Willie Mays impersonation, running full speed to catch the ball, slamming into the wall and saving the possible tying homer.

The stunned Dillon team could not respond and Pee Dee won the first contest by that 3-1 score.

The next day, the Warriors had their chance at revenge as the Golden Eagles took the trip to Dillon. Again, the pitching came through. Dennis Moore delivered a gem worthy of historical emphasis. Seven innings, Moore completely shut down the home team.

Fourteen strikeouts gave the team a two-day total of 25. But, what was even more impressive through six innings was that Moore had a no-hitter working in this pivotal contest. However, it remained scoreless into the final frame.

That’s when Moore decided to do the damage with his bat, knocking in the first run of the contest. Then, he went out and finished the job, finishing a complete-game no-hitter against the baffled Warrior bats. The 1-0. no-hit victory was the first for Golden Eagles baseball in recent memory.

 The team traveled to Bennettsville for their third game of the week. In order to have a chance to win region, Pee Dee would have to defeat the Dragons. And, they put it all on the line, smacking 13 hits and getting yet another shutout pitching performance.

Thomas and Moore combined on the effort while Hester, Gibson and Storm Page came up large with the sticks, getting two-out hits and the big RBI to throw down the gavel on Marlboro in a 10-0, 5-inning rout.

“I am proud of this team. We have overcome adversity all year and put ourselves in the position that we are in ... we know what has to be done, we need to hit the baseball and put the pressure on the the other team to make plays. If we can do that we will achieve our goal,” Collins said, excited with his team’s chances.

At press time, the team was set to play Byrnes at home. With a win, the Golden Eagles could snag their first conference crown in almost two decades.