WADESBORO — For the first time since the 2015 season, the Ellerbe Middle School baseball team is in the second round of the playoffs.
The No. 5 Wildcats opened the Southeastern Middle School Athletic Conference playoffs with a road win Wednesday against No. 4 Anson Middle School Orange. Ellerbe pulled off the first-round upset, rolling past the Bearcats 8-4.
It was the second time the two teams met this season, with Anson winning 9-2 the first matchup. Ellerbe’s redemption win moved them to the SEMSAC semifinal round.
Getting the start on the mound for Ellerbe was eighth grader Brycen Goodwin, who pitched a complete game and earned his sixth win of the season. The righty went all seven innings, allowing just four runs on five hits, and struck out eight Bearcat batters.
He also walked just one batter and hit another one with a pitch.
“We played well in a hostile environment today,” Ellerbe head coach Allen Adeimy said. “Brycen was lights out again with another big win for us. He’s put up big numbers on the mound all season.”
Goodwin not only got it done on the bump, but he swung the bat well, going 2-for-2 with two walks. He’d scored all four times he reached base safely.
His younger brother and seventh grader Vance Goodwin had an RBI single, while teammates Brent Hayes and Mason Murray also collected hits.
“We ran the bases super aggressively to force Anson to throw it around a little,” Adeimy noted. “We also threw three runners out on the bases, and I have to highlight Maurice Singley and Thomas Lampley, whose hustle plays most people wouldn’t notice made a big difference in the game’s outcome.”
Ellerbe (6-4) will head to No. 1 Carver Middle School (10-0) in the semifinal round. First pitch in Laurel Hill is set for 4:15 p.m. on Monday.
