Martin County washed the taste of defeat out of their mouths on Friday night, beating Currituck County High 2-0. The win effectively sets up their pitching rotation to start their junior ace in the upcoming rubber match.
Martin County got the scoring started in the top of the second. Using a "whole field" hitting approach, Bryson Banks roped a laser into left field to bring in Brody Whitaker. This early 1-0 lead would eventually prove to be the game-winning run.
The Gators played with an edge on Friday. In the top of the 6th inning, Mari Larry’s bat heated up as he chopped a ball through the left side of the infield. Landon Lane then laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Larry to second. Larry's speed kept the pressure on the defense, and Easton Warren followed up with a blooper just over the head of Gavin Durrett. Larry sprinted home on the play, doubling the lead to 2-0—a margin that proved too much for Currituck to overcome.
On the mound, Easton Warren was "all juice," throwing heat for all seven innings. He dominated the lineup with 14 strikeouts, bringing the energy and celebrations the Gators needed. The win moves Martin County within two games of sole possession of the Northeastern Coastal Conference regular season title.
Although Martin County only recorded four hits, the zeal and enthusiasm of Warren’s performance was more than enough to secure the victory. The win brings Martin County’s conference record to 6-1, tying them with Currituck as co-champions. With some help from the First Flight Nighthawks next week, the Gators could be on their way to winning three straight major regular season conference championships this school year. By the time the new Martin County High School is built, they may need a much larger trophy shelf.