The Season Opener At Fairmont on 3/2/22:
It was a great evening for baseball as the 2022 Whiteville Wolfpack season got underway. The sky was clear and there was almost no breeze as the Wolfpack entered the game in their new gray uniforms with blue pinstripes and big blue “W” on the gray cap, just to set the picture. Wolfpack Nation traveled well to Fairmont for the opener, and no one was disappointed.
Ty Lawson took the mound for Whiteville, and he continued where he left off from the preseason. This was the third time I have seen the Wolfpack strike out the side to start a game, not to mention striking out 11 of the first 12 batters (on the 12th strikeout the batter made it to first on a dropped pitch and wide throw to first). Lawson unofficially finished the game with 12 k’s, allowing 1 earned run, 3 hits and 2 walks. Ty also accounted for more than half of the Wolfpacks runs, he had 5 RBIs on a 3-run dinger off the water tank in center field and a bases clearing, stand up double. These numbers earned Ty Lawson the Columbus County News Player of the Game honors! Bud Baldwin also had a good game with 2 walks, 2 stolen bases and he beat out an infield hit on a bobbled play at first. A run scored on that play.
In the fifth inning, Ashton Hammonds came in to pitch for Whiteville and threw for 3 strikeouts and gave up no runs in his two-inning appearance.
Cody Etheridge came in for the seventh inning to close the game for the Wolfpack. He gave up a homerun to Gales Malachi (2 of game, hit one in first inning off the water tank on Ty Lawson). Cody then went on to strike out 2 batters.
At the end of 7 innings, the Whiteville Varsity topped Fairmont 9-2. The JV Whiteville squad won 6-1 earlier in the afternoon.
Whiteville is home tomorrow evening versus New Hanover at Legion Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 6pm. You can catch the pre-game and every pitch starting at 5:45pm on Kool 103.9-FM and streaming on www.Kool1039Radio.com
– Vinny Pagano is the Sports Editor for Columbus County News and Sports Director for WTXY Kool 103.9FM & AM1540. Join Vinny every Saturday mornings at 10:30am on WTXY AM1540 & KOOL 103.9FM for “In The Sports Zone”, a weekly sports talk podcast, covering the world of professional, college, semi-pro and the local sports world. In The Sports Zone is also available on Spotify, and other Podcast sites. Local Sports stories, as well as questions and comments can be submitted to Vinny at sports@kool1039radio.com
