North Cross batted around in the first inning for six runs, and the Raiders held on the rest of the way to defeat cross-town private school rival Roanoke Catholic 9-3 in VIC Div.-I baseball Thursday afternoon at Porterfield Field.
The Raiders added a single run in the second and two more in the third to take a commanding 9-0 lead before the Celtics mounted a comeback.
Catholic plated all three of their runs in the top of the fourth, ignited by a double to the left-center field fence by Noah Harrilla. Harrilla accounted for 2 of the 4 Celtic hits on the afternoon.
North Cross kept the Celtic batters at bay most of the game. Edwin Saunders started for the Raiders and fell one out short of qualifying for the win when he left the mound with two out in the fourth after throwing 65 pitches. All three runs surrendered by Saunders were unearned. Keith Oddo came in to relieve, throwing 2 1/3 innings of no-hit ball and striking out three to pick up the win. Tanner Smith pitched a scoreless seventh for North Cross.
Danny Brajdic went the distance for Roanoke Catholic. Only 2 of the 9 North Cross runs were earned, due largely to 8 Celtic miscues in the field. Brajdic struck out three while walking only one batter in his six innings of work.
Ben Coleman led the Raider attack with three hits and 2 RBIs while Tanner McCoy, Saunders and Tanner Smith each accounted for a pair of hits for North Cross. McCoy and Smith each scored twice for the Raiders.
North Cross improved to 5-4 on the season. Roanoke Catholic fell to 2-8.
– Bill Turner
