Caleb Johnson scored a run in the top of the eighth inning to put Whiteville up 4-3, and the one-run lead was all the Wolfpack needed to take the first game of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A eastern regional championship series.

The 4-3 loss for Greene Central was the first of the season. The Rams entered the game with a perfect 25-0 record.

The game was everything you’d expect from a 1-seed vs. 2-seed matchup.

Whiteville started the game with a two-run inning in the top of the first. Luke Odham was walked and then scored on a J.T. Todd double to center field. That gave Whiteville an early 1-0 lead.

Todd scored later in the inning on a passed ball. Whiteville led 2-0 in the middle of the first inning.

Greene Central would not be outdone early though. Braden Burress started the inning with a lead off double on a line drive to right field. He scored moments later on a sacrifice fly to right field by Easton Creech.

Later in the inning, the Rams tied the game at 2-2. Mason Dillon entered the game as a courtesy runner after Will Radford was walked. Dillon advanced to second base on a passed ball, then scored thanks to a single from Noah Uzzell.

The 2-2 tie held until the fourth inning. Both teams scored one running in the fourth, and the 3-3 tie held until the top of the eighth inning.

With runners at the corners and with two outs, Cameron McKvian scored from third base on a hit from Wyatt Torelli. The Wolfpack ended the top of the eighth inning up 4-3.

Greene Central had three outs in the bottom of the eighth to tie or walk it off. Grayson Creech threw two strikeouts to start the inning though, and a groundout to shortstop Will Fisher ended the game.

Game two of the best-of-three series will be played at Whiteville on Thursday at 7 p.m. If Whiteville wins, the series is over and the Wolfpack will advance to the 2A state championship next week. However, if Greene Central wins, a decisive game three will be played on Friday at 7 p.m. in Snow Hill.

The winner of this series will face the winner of (2) East Rutherford and (1) Burns in the state championship game.

Source: highschoolot.com