By JAKE POTTER
and DENNIS WILLIAMSON

Whiteville Post 137 can clinch tonight the first round series of the Area 2-West playoffs after losing Sunday night’s Game 3 to Scotland County Post 50 13-7 in Laurinburg.

Gametime is 7 p.m. at Legion Stadium.

If Whiteville wins tonight, it can advance to the Area 2-West championship to play the winner of the Hamlet Post 49-Fayetteville Post 4 series.
Whiteville, now 13-10, finished in fourth place in the Area 2-West League in the regular season. They made the playoffs for the 31st time in 33 seasons after Fayetteville won against Stedman Post 62.

Post 137 took the first two games of the series Friday and Saturday nights after a Thursday night rainout moved all games back one night.

But Scotland, the regular season Area 2-West champion, countered Sunday with a win of its own, putting the series at 2-1 and setting up tonight’s matchup.

Both Whiteville and Scotland brought their bats Sunday night, amassing a combined total of 26 hits in the game.

Scotland’s 10-run third inning rally created a wall that Post 137 could never eventually topple.

Justin Creech led the hitting for Whiteville with three hits. Marquis Smith added two hits, one of which was a double.

John David White and Charlie Gore also provided doubles for Post 137.

Also hitting for Whiteville were Ryan McCleney, Robbie Penny, Jordan McPherson, Addison Miller and DeMichael Smith.

The losing pitcher was Jeremy King. McCleney and Dustin Proctor, who had homered in the two previous series games, both pitched in relief.

If Scotland wins tonight, it will set up a Game 5 at the Scotland County High baseball field in Laurinburg to decide the winner of the series.

Whiteville finished runner-up to Scotland during last year’s playoffs. This year’s Scotland squad boasts players from Scotland County High’s 4A baseball championship team.

LP: King