Western delivers stunner at DHC

by | May 13, 2018 | News & Features, Western Harnett

Andrew Kelly, shown at the plate earlier this season, had two hits with a double, and pitched a complete game as Western Harnett took a 7-4 baseball playoff win at D.H. Conley on Saturday night.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)

Western Harnett traveled to D.H. Conley on Saturday night in the second round of the NCHSAA 3-A baseball playoffs and the 15th=seeded Eagles stunned the No. 2 Vikings, 7-4, behind a complete game from Andrew Kelly.

Kelly collected 11 strikeouts without a walk. He allowed four hits and three earned runs as the Eagles evened their record at 14-14.

Western will host fellow Tri-County Six 3-A Conference member Union Pines (17-9) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Vikings, seeded 26th, advanced with a 6-4 win in the second round at Greenville Rose.

The Eagles have beaten Union Pines three times this season, including 5-2 on the road April 24 and 1-0 at home on April 27 in regular-season league games. Western edged Union Pines 4-3 in the semifinals of the league tournament on the Eagles’ field on May 1.

Western outhit Conley (21-6) by a 10-4 margin.

Kelly went 2-for-4 on Saturday night. Devonte Sanders, Collin Welch, Bradley Wilson and Nathan Jolley each had a hit and an RBI for the Eagles. Seven different players scored runs including Noah Kessler, Trevor Dezso, Sanders, Welch, Kaleb Denkins, Dustin Lund and Wilson.

Kelly and Denkins had doubles.

Western never trailed after scoring twice in the top of the first. The Eagles added four runs in the fourth and one in the seventh. The Vikings got a grand slam from Robby O’Neal in the sixth.

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