VINEGAR HILL – Through five innings of play Thursday night, the Whiteville Wolfpack’s only hit off South Columbus pitcher Justin Creech was a solo home run by sophomore second baseman Ben Deans.

At game’s end, it was Dean’s fourth-inning homer that stood as the only marker of the evening as the Wolfpack held on to defeat the host Stallions 1-0 in the Waccamaw Conference baseball championship finale.

Whiteville junior righthander Robbie Penny emerged as the winning pitcher as he gave up three hits, struck out nine and walked two. Creech, SCHS’s senior righthander, struck out 15 and walked none while also throwing a three-hitter.

The result left the two teams tied for the Waccamaw Conference championship with 10-2 league records, but Whiteville claimed the conference’s automatic 2A berth by way of its two conference wins over the Stallions.

Whiteville, which closed the regular season with a 14-9 record, will play its first home playoff game since 2002 when it entertains East Duplin Tuesday night at 7. South Columbus, with a 17-6 season record, is expected to find out today if it received a wild card berth in the 2A playoffs (see related tory).

“This was a great ball game,” said WHS coach Brett Harwood. “We were really motivated and worked hard this week. I’m really excited for our team.”

Deans, the Wolfpack’s No. 9 hitter, knocked his home run over in fence in right-centerfield to give the Wolfpack its 1-0 lead in the third. Whiteville’s only other hits came in the sixth inning when Sprandon Mahoney singled and Scott Stephens reached on a bunt single.

For Coach Willie Gore’s South Columbus squad, Creech had a ground-rule double in the third inning, Garrett Bullock singled in the second inning and Landon Simmons had a bunt single in the seventh. South Columbus had two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh before Penny retired the side with a strikeout.

Penny moved his season mound record to 8-1.

“I’m proud of our guys” Coach Gore said. “We just didn’t execute enough when we needed to . It was a well-played game.”

Gore said he was particularly proud of his team as his Stallion squad exceeded all pre-season expectations.

“This team has come a long way,” Coach Gore said. “When the season started, I don’t think anybody thought that our kids would have accomplished what they have this year.”

Whiteville defeated the Stallions 5-4 in their earlier conference meeting at Whiteville with Penny pitching the win. The two teams also met in the third-place game of the Jiggs Powers Memorial Tournament at Whiteville. In that holiday tournament game, Creech fired a one-hitter while striking out 16 in an 8-0 Stallion victory.

Whiteville’s other conference losses came against East Columbus 6-3 and North Brunswick 4-3, both on its homefield.

Penny and Hooks; Creech and Piver