Pee Dee Academy teams take wins over Williamsburg Academy

After splitting with conference foe, Lake City's Carolina Academy, just a day earlier, Pee Dee Academy's baseball and softball teams welcomed another conference power, Kingstree's Williamsburg Academy, to Mullins this past Friday night for a pair of crucial games.

What resulted was a pair of wins by matching 10-5 scores as the softball team continued it's region dominance and baseball may have scored a first in their win. The softball team came into this one fresh off of a dramatic 5-4, extra inning win over the Bobcats the day before. Kelsey Dozier provided the heroics with a one-out sac fly that scored the winner and gave the Golden Eagles the region lead.

Summer Collins took the mound for Bill Rogers' team against Williamsburg and allowed one runner to reach in the first without scoring. Pee Dee did likewise in the bottom half as Rachel Hester reached on a single, but was stranded at third. Collins sat the Stallions down 1-2-3 in the second and then the fireworks began.

Katherine Rogers led off the bottom of the second with a double. Three batters later, Dozier hit a line shot that stayed in the infield, but loaded the bases and set the table for Daleigh Huggins. Huggins ripped a two-run single to right center to plate a pair. Then, Kali Jacobs followed with the same and quickly it was 4-0 Golden Eagles after 2.

The Stallions came to life in the top of the third and mounted a rally, scoring two and cutting the deficit in half. However, it did not stay that way long.

Rogers drew a one-out walk and moved all the way to third on a pair of passed balls. Dozier hit into a fielder's choice, scoring Rogers. Another passed ball allowed Lee Pittman to score after she had reached on a walk. Then, Jacobs and Caroline Shelley put the game out of reach with run-scoring base hits, making it 10-2 after three complete.

Stallion hurler, Carson Walker, settled down after this, finishing the ball game with three shutout innings. However, the Golden Eagles pitchers, Collins and Christen Bucy, would not allow them to get back into the game.

The 10-5 final pushed the softball team's record to 3-1 overall and 3-0 in region play on the year. Jacobs finished the game with 2 hits and 3 RBI, Dozier also had a pair of hits and scored a pair, while Rogers finished a perfect 3-3 at the plate with an RBI.

The baseball team's score was identical and the two games finished side-by-side within two minutes of eachother. But, that is about all the was the same for the two.

Williamsburg baseball had a long-standing tradition of excellence and dominance on the diamond. And, they put it on display every time they take the field, especially against Pee Dee, where no Golden Eagle in attendance could remember their last win in the series. But, Golden Eagle pitcher, Kevin Thomas, was dominant on the hill in the beginning, putting the Stallion batters down in order in the first. Dennis Moore reached on a one-out double in the bottom of the first for Pee Dee, but would not score. It would remain 0-0 after two.

Williamsburg got two runners on with two out in the third. A 2-out, 2-run triple plated the two runners and the Stallions had a 2-0 lead after the top of the third. Anyone with a history background of Pee Dee baseball would expect them to fold up the tent and let Williamsburg run away with it despite the small deficit.

But, this Golden Eagle team turned a deaf ear on history on this day, and created some of their own.

They answered right back as Jed Hayes reached on a single, Charlie Fincannon followed with a one-out single and both runners moved up on a passed ball. The second out was recorded and seemingly Williamsburg had dodged a threat. But, Cody Gibson thought otherwise, dumping a 2-out hit into a hole between the fielders in left center and knotting the score after 3 at 2-2.

Thomas came out fired up and struck out the side in the fourth. What followed amazed everyone in attendance on both sides. Pee Dee turned the baseball field into their own personal pinball arcade, taking the Stallions pitches for deep rides and running the Williamsburg outfield like Forrest Gump from a runaway pick-up truck.

Jamie Estes reached on a single and was moved up on Brett Hester's bunt. Storm Page ripped on RBI triple to the gap scoring Estes and then would score on Hayes' bunt single. Will Daniels slammed a double to right center off the 335 sign that scored Hayes and then Fincannon sent another bomb into the gap that scored Daniels. Gibson would bring in Fincannon with a grounder and, stunningly, Pee Dee had a 7-2 lead.

Like the champions they are, Williamsburg clawed back to within 7-5 going into the bottom of the 6th. But, like champions themselves, the Golden Eagles responded again. Gibson would notch a 2-run single in the bottom of the frame to make it 9-5 and the lead would grow to 10-5 going into the seventh.

Lefty, Dennis Moore, came in to finish off the job in the seventh and set the Stallions down in order. The 10-5 victory for Pee Dee was the first over Williamsburg in anyone's memory over the last 20 years.

Thomas picked up the win pitching, giving up 4 hits and walking one while striking out 12 batters. Gibson went 3 for 4 at the plate with 4 RBI, Hayes was 2 for 3 with an RBI and 2 runs scored and Page also had the big RBI triple and a run scored.

Both teams will play host to Marlboro this Friday. The softball team will travel to Thomas Sumter on Thursday for a date with the Generals and then will take on Penn Charter out of Pennsylvania in a beach tournament on March 21 at 11 a.m.