Wayne Christian
By DAN BISER
It’s been an up-and-down senior season for Waccamaw Academy lefthander Dustin Williamson as early-season arm problems have prevented him from making the overall impact Coach Robbie Allen’s Warriors had hoped for this spring.
But on Tuesday, it was vintage Williamson on the mound as he fired a one-hit shutout in the Warriors’ 5-0 victory over Wayne Christian Academy of Goldsboro in second-round play the NCISAA state 1A baseball playoffs. Williamson struck out 12 and walked two for the three-time defending state champion Warrior squad, which gained the upper hand with three runs in the third inning.
Catcher Justin Rhodes helped key the Warrior offense with a two-run homer. The Warriors finished with eight hits as they put their season record at 14-13.
Coach Robbie Allen’s Warriors, who received an opening round by in the playoffs, will travel to Wilson Friday to meet Wayne Country Day (14-9) at 4 p.m. at Fleming Stadium. A semi-final win would put the Warriors in a best-of-three series for the state title with the Lawrence Academy-Shannon Forest Academy semi-final winner.
The state title series will be played Friday at 7 p.m., with the second game set for 11 a.m. Saturday. A third game, if necessary, is set for for 2 p.m. Sunday. All games will be played at Fleming Stadium.
Rhodes and shortstop Ian Hooks each had two hits for Warriors while Ben Rouse, Kyle Hufham, Nathan Long and Grayson Graham had one hit each. Rhodes’ two-run homer came with two outs in the fifth inning and brought across the game’s final runs.
The only hit off Williamson came in the fifth inning when WCA’s T.A. Brannan drove a double past third base.
Tyler Thomas was the losing pitcher for Wayne Christian, which closed its season with a 15-4 record.
| Wayne Christian | 000 | 000 | 0 | - | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Waccamaw | 003 | 020 | x | - | 5 | 8 | 1 |
T. Thomas and Bass; Williamson and Rhodes.