By DAN BISER
Sports Editor

VINEGAR HILL - After recording eight pitching victories last year as a sophomore, Ethan Ward knew he would be called on to make an even bigger impact for the South Columbus High School baseball team this season.

On Tuesday, he showed that he is more than accomplishing that.

“We count on Ethan a whole lot,” said SCHS coach Willie Gore after the junior righthander pitched an 8-0 shutout over the visiting East Columbus Gators in a Waccamaw 1A-2A Conference baseball game.”

South Columbus got a second-inning solo home run by Dakota Piver but did not put the game away until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Stallions exploded for seven runs.

“He had to work to hard today,” Gore said. “This is a big win for us. It was tight there for a long time but then we managed to get the big inning.”

Ward allowed five hits and struck out six batters as South Columbus claimed its fifth straight win and put its conference record at 2-0. The SCHS season record stands at 7-3

Stallion centerfielder Justin “Grasshopper” Ward did a lot in preserving Ethan Ward’s shutout, making a pair of long, running catches, including one that resulted in a game-ending double-play.

Lefthander Caleb Andrews was the losing pitcher for East Columbus. Andrews held the Gators to two hits and struck out seven before South Columbus sent 11 batters to the plate in the sixth inning.

Blake Spivey, Donovan Watts, Buster James, Ethan Ward and Justin Ward all had hits in the sixth-inning uprising. C.J. Ganus and B.J. Patrick pitched in relief for the Gators.

Chad Malpass and Alex Williamson had doubles for East Columbus. Malpass and Andrews had two hits.

In the top of the seventh inning, Andrews and Malpass singled with one out. Allen Bracey followed with a shot to deep center that Justin Ward ran down. He fired to second to double off the runner to end the game.

Coach Karl Bracey’s East Columbus squad played host to Waccamaw Conference rival Trask on Wednesday (See result in A-section of our printed edition).

South Columbus will play host to Pender today, and East Columbus will travel to play Wallace-Rose Hill Friday. Both games are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

SCHS will be the host team for the April 9-11 Jiggs Powers Memorial Tournament.

Andrews, Ganus (60), Patrick (6) and Malpass; E. Ward and Piver.