Neuse Charter travelled to down to Roseboro on Thursday evening for a tangle against the Lakewood Leopards in Carolina 1A Conference baseball action. After opening up a lead to start the game, Lakewood had to survive a late Cougar comeback attempt, but managed to do so in winning, 6-5.

Following an 11-10 loss to Union on Monday, a game in which at one point they were down 10-0 and on the brink of being mercy-ruled, Lakewood was eager to try and right the ship when Neuse Charter came calling.

Not much noise was made on offense in the first three innings of Wednesday’s game. Just two runs had been tallied as Neuse and Lakewood were knotted at 1-1 through three completed innings.

Neuse Charter had a great opportunity to put runs on the scoreboard in the fourth inning when they had runners on first and second and no outs. Lakewood pitcher Trent Tanner, however, would work out of the jam with no damage done.

Lakewood, on the other hand, was able to break the 1-1 deadlock when Trey White laid down a sacrifice to push a run across for the Leopards. With the added run, Lakewood had taken a 2-1 lead – a lead which only grew into the fifth.

Neuse made no noise in their half of the fifth but Lakewood made some hay with two outs and the bases juiced. Four runs would be plated by the Leopards in the fifth as all came with two outs.

The Cougars wouldn’t go down without a fight, however.

In the sixth, Neuse once again had first and second occupied with no outs when Lakewood made a pitching change to Dawson Batts.

Soon, Neuse had the bases loaded.

It wasn’t so much Neuse’s hitting, though, as much as it was Lakewood’s fielding errors that fueled a four run Cougars rally to trim the Lakewood lead to only a run.

The Leopards were unable to add any runs in the home half of the sixth, having to settle for a tenuous 6-5 lead headed to the final frame.

In the seventh, despite a runner on first, Batts would catch the routine pop up for the third and final out to secure a 6-5 Lakewood win over Neuse Charter.

The Leopards tallied eight hits on the night, all of which proved crucial in securing the win.

Aiding in the cause was Hunter Powell with three hits followed by Cooper James with two hits and three runs batted in. Logan Henderson also contributed two hits. Dawson Batts, Trey White, and Jamie Sessoms all had one hit apiece.

Lakewood’s victory puts the Leopards over .500, sitting at 7-6 overall and 5-5 in the Carolina 1A Conference. After spring break, Lakewood will be back on the diamond for a home game against Wallace-Rose Hill. The Bulldogs will come to Roseboro on Monday, April 29, for a 7 p.m. battle.

Lakewood’s Jamie Sessoms had one of the Leopards’ eight hits in a 6-5 win Thursday over Neuse.
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_LHS-Jamie-Sessoms.jpgLakewood’s Jamie Sessoms had one of the Leopards’ eight hits in a 6-5 win Thursday over Neuse.
Lakewood hangs on for 6-5 win over Neuse Charter

By Justin Lucas

Sports Writer

Reach Sports Writer Daron Barefoot at [email protected].