UP baseball back on top in CFVC

The Union Pines baseball team bounced back from its first league loss of the season by bombing Western Harnett 14-3 in five innings via the mercy rule in Cape Fear Valley Conference action Tuesday at Vikings Field.

With the victory, Union Pines (12-4) regained sole possession of first place in the league standings with a 7-1 CFVC mark , as the third place Gray’s Creek Bears (11-5, 6-3) topped Southern Lee (11-5, 6-2) by a 4-0 score in CFVC action Tuesday in Hope Mills.

Senior hurler Carson Kelly got the win on the mound to improve his record to 6-1 on the season. In five innings of work, Kelly allowed two earned runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out two.

The visiting Eagles took a 2-0 lead through the first inning of play. Union Pines grabbed a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second scoring four runs on three hits, three walks and a sacrifice. Sophomore Noble Davis delivered the big blow in the frame in the form of a two-run double.

Union Pines scored twice more in the third to push their edge to 6-2. Then Western got one run on four hits to trim the margin to 6-3 through three and a half innings of play. In the bottom of the fourth frame, the Vikings sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring eight runs on six hits and four walks.

Kelly had a two-run single in the inning, while junior Seth Breasseale went yard sending a two-run blast to right for his seventh home run of the season.

On the night Kelly went 3-for-4 with the stick, scoring twice. Junior captain Nic Collins scored twice in the fourth inning and roped a two-run single for his third RBI and second hit of the game.

Davis went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two doubles for the Vikings while lead-off batter Gabe Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two stolen bases.