LEWISBURG, W.Va. (WVDN) – The Greenbrier East Spartans took a couple road trips over the weekend, April 7 and 8, to Washington and Martinsburg, respectively.
East played two double-headers and split the four games by going 2-2 with two victories over Washington (2-1 and 9-2) and two losses to Martinsburg (9-3 and 10-9).
In game one against the Patriots, the Spartans trailed 1-0 from the fourth inning on, in what was a pitchers’ duel between the Spartans’ Gabe Patton and Washington’s Cameron Gill.
It was not until the top of the seventh inning that East got on the scoreboard. Patton got an RBI single that scored Ian Cline, and then Clayton Morgan smacked a double to center that scored Darris Boswell. That gave East a 2-1 lead, their first of the day, and Patton retired the Pats hitters in order in the bottom half, and the Spartans held on for the win.
Patton went seven innings, scattered six hits and one run and struck out two. The Spartan defense behind him was very good on the day. Gill also went the distance for Washington and struck out eight.
Game two featured a little more offense, at least on the East side, as they put up six runs in the first frame to take immediate control of the game. Three consecutive singles from Cline, Ashton Cochran and Patton loaded the bases for East. Boswell and Zion Detko were hit by pitches that scored two runs. Gavin Bennet had an RBI groundout, Peyton DeHaven was credited with an RBI on a walk and Cline laced an RBI single that scored Detko, and East held momentum the rest of the way.
Cline (2-5, run, 2 RBIs) and Detko (2-2, 2 runs, RBI) led the Spartan offense with multiple hits. Bennett had two RBIs, and Patton scored a run and drove in another.
Bennett was also good on the mound. The junior allowed just six hits and two runs and struck out six Patriot hitters to pick up the win.
East found the Bulldogs of Martinsburg to be more challenging.
In game one of that series, the Spartans scored two runs in the first inning to grab a quick 2-0 lead, but they did not record a hit in the frame. Martinsburg then answered with three runs in the bottom half and three in the second as East struggled to get runs consistently to keep up. The Spartans had just five hits in the game with Morgan and Detko combining for four of them. Detko, a sophomore, also drove in two runs.
Boswell was given the loss on the hill, but Rylee Wilson pitched good in relief, as he did not give up a run and scattered two hits in two innings.
The nightcap was a true heartbreaker for the Spartans. After winning with a walk-off hit last week against Woodrow Wilson, East received unwanted karma when the Bulldogs did the same to them, when Martinsburg’s’ Braedon Oviedo singled against East’s Layne Lambert for the game-winner.
East outhit the Bulldogs 13-8, but in the end, the runs are what makes the difference. Cline (2-5, run, RBI), Detko (2-3, 2 runs), Henry Goodwin (2-2, run) and DeHaven (2-3, run, 3 RBIs) led the Spartan attack at the plate.
Murphy Clement, brother of former Martinsburg star and current WVU football player Hudson Clement, went 2-4 with five RBIs to lead the Bulldogs.
Lambert was hit with the loss. Oviedo was credited for the win for Martinsburg.
The Spartans are now 8-9 on the season and will be back in action on Wednesday, April 12, at Jefferson.
