Eli Burns pitched the last three innings for the Eagles.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Barbara Myatt)
Cape Fear Christian Academy’s 13-game winning streak was stopped as visiting Halifax Academy topped the Eagles, 6-3, in the quarterfinals of the NCISAA 1-A baseball playoffs on Thursday.
The Eagles finished 13-2, winning the regular season and tournament championships in the Mid-Carolina Conference.
“I’m very proud of the accomplishments this season,” said CFCA coach Bill Parrish. “I look forward to continuing to improve and build upon our success this season.”
Catcher Trevor McLamb is the lone senior on the 2023 team.
“It was an honor to coach him this year,” Parrish said. “The way Trevor plays and approaches both practices and the games exemplifies how hard everyone else should play.”
With just three hits and seven errors, the fourth-seeded Eagles were not at their best against th4 No. 5 Vikings (8-8).
“Today wasn’t how we wanted our season to end,” Parrish said. “With everything we did today that hurt us, we still had a chance at the end of the game. Bottom of the seventh, down 6-3 with Cason Pope on third with Cole Godwin up to bat and Trevor McLamb on deck, but for some reason it just wasn’t meant to be.”
The Eagles kept the game scoreless through two innings with some exceptional defense with runners in scoring position each frame.
Halifax led 3-0 with one run in the third and two in the fourth.
Conner Parrish had CFCA’s first hit in the bottom of the fourth. He stole second before scoring on a hit by Cason Pope to draw the hosts within 3-1.
The score was 4-2 after five innings as Fisher Stancil got a hustle run for the Eagles. The Vikings plated two runs in the seventh and Zeke Brock got the last run for CFCA.
Pope went 2-for-4 for CFCA.
Ben Keeter had three of the visitors’ 11 hits.
Stancil started and went four innings with six strikeouts. Eli Burns pitched the last three innings and fanned four. The mound duo yielded just three earned runs.
CFCA shortstop Zeke Brock makes a catch in shallow left field.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Barbara Myatt)
Trevor McLamb, the lone senior for the Eagles, steals second.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Barbara Myatt)
Landon McLamb makes a throw from right field on Thursday.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Barbara Myatt)
Cason Pope, who had two hits, shows the ball on a pickoff attempt.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Barbara Myatt)
Fisher Stancil started on the mound for the Eagles.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Barbara Myatt)
Conner Parrish scores Cape Fear Christian’s first run.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Barbara Myatt)
Zeke Brock is safe at first in the seventh inning.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Barbara Myatt)
Zeke Brock is safe at home for CFCA’s final run.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Barbara Myatt)
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