Cardinal Gibbons took a 9-6 baseball win over visiting South Johnston on Wednesday afternoon after the Trojans scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning in the season opener for both clubs in Raleigh.
South got effective pitching from Aubrey Pollard and Josh Parker. Pollard allowed two earned runs in three innings with three strikeouts. Parker fanned two in one inning.
Ben Stafford, Grant Millay, Parker Stewart, David Honeycutt and Josh Schindler had hits for the Trojans. Schindler had a double and two RBIs.
Senior Gray Betts was 3-for-4 for the 4-A Crusaders and scored four runs. Classmate Chase Thorburn was 2-for-3 and scored three times. Richie VanTassal and Dane Stewart each had two RBIs for Gibbons, which took a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
The hosts added a run in the second, two in the fourth and three in the fifth.
The teams are scheduled to play at South on March 13.
The Trojans travel to Triton on Friday for a 7 p.m. start and host the Hawks on Tuesday at 7 p.m.