Comets bounce back with 3-2 baseball win; SJ cruises in softball

by | Mar 28, 2018 | South Johnston

After taking an 11-1 varsity baseball loss at South Johnston on Thursday, Clayton turned the tables on the Trojans with a 3-2 Greater Neuse 3-A Conference win at home on Tuesday night.

The outcome dropped South to 6-4 on the season and 1-1 in the league going into the Johnston County Easter Invitational at the Trojans’ Bruce Coats Field. The eight-team event starts Saturday.

Jay McKenzie started for the Trojans and went five innings. He allowed one run and struck out five, leaving the mound with South on top, 2-1. Dylan Honeycutt absorbed the loss in relief.

“I felt our pitching gave us a chance to win,” said South coach Aaron Parnell. “Jay threw the ball very well and competed. The defense played pretty well behind him.”

The Trojans fell victim to some unlikely circumstances that decided the game after the first two Clayton batters were retired in the bottom of the seventh. The Comets got a flair hit, an infield single, a walk and a pop that dropped between center and second.

“Ball game,” Parnell said.

Charleston Southern signee Grant Millay went 2-for-2 for South and David Honeycutt had a hit.

“Offensively, we were quiet,” Parnell said. “(Trey) Deutsch threw the ball well for them and (Sawyer) Worrell stepped up for his team to close out the seventh.”

Both teams are in the Johnston County Easter Invitational at South. Clayton (3-5, 1-1) meets Triton at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and the Trojans take on Wake Forest at 7:30 p.m.

strong>Girls soccer falls at Clayton

The South Johnston girls soccer team also experienced a swing of the pendulum. The Trojans took their first win of the season, 3-1, over visiting North Johnston on Friday before being dealt a 9-0 conference loss at Clayton on Monday night.

South (1-6-1, 0-1 GNC) continues league play at home tonight (Wednesday, March 28) at 6:30 against West Johnston.

Softball wins comfortably

South’s softball team improved to 5-3 overall and 2-0 in league play with an 11-1 win at Clayton on Tuesday night.

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