GREENSBORO — Early Thursday morning, the Powerade State Games kicked off its baseball tournament at UNC Greensboro.
Richmond’s Jake Ransom and Trey Watkins were members of the Region 4 team that went head-to-head with Region 2 in the tournament’s opening matchup. Region 2 picked up eight hits, capitalized on a few errors and grabbed a 4-0 victory.
Watkins opened the game on the mound for Region 4, throwing 17 pitches in the first inning — not allowing any runs or hits. He gave up a total of five hits over the next two innings, however, as Kyle Smith (New Hanover) and Matthew Suggs (Hoggard) each drove in an RBI to give Watkins two earned runs in the third.
Ransom appeared at the plate twice during the game, once in the second and once in the fourth. He would strike out in his first at-bat. With bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning, Ransom’s hit resulted in a force play — giving the team its third out.
A two-out single from Randy Floyd (Fairmont) gave Region 4 its first hit the bottom of the third inning. Brooks Baldwin (Whiteville), Ryder Giles (Union Pines) and Andrew Jayne (Terry Sanford) each recorded a hit in the fourth. Aaron Revels (St. Pauls) picked up a single in the bottom of the fifth and Christian Jayne (Terry Sanford) got to first after a bunt in the bottom of the sixth.
After recording five hits in the first three innings, Region 2 saw its bats go cold over the next two innings. Other than the one batter who made it on base, due to a walk, everyone else either grounded out or hit a fly ball.
Suggs got Region 2 going in the sixth, however, with a lead-off single that eventually turned in to a scored run. Colby Emmertz (Topsail) followed Suggs’ single with one of his own. A hit from Owen McDowell (West Brunswick) in the final inning was the team’s eighth and final hit.
Matthew Little (Cape Fear) relieved Watkins after three innings and gave up three hits, walked one batter and earned two strikeouts.
Cody Whaley (C.B. Aycock) was the starting pitcher for Region 2. Jonathan Peacock (Rosewood) took over for a few innings and then Dylan Jeffries (West Brunswick) closed things out in the bottom of the seventh.
Next up for Ransom, Watkins and Region 4 will be a 6:30 p.m. matchup versus Region 3 on Friday.
Reach sports editor Leon Hargrove Jr. at 910-817-2673 and follow the sports section on Twitter @RCDailySports.
Richmond Senior’s Trey Watkins pitched the first three innings of the opening baseball matchup between Region 4 and Region 2 in the 2017 Powerade State Games. Watkins gave up five hits and had two earned runs.