Varsity Baseball falls to Jones Senior 6-2

The John Paul II Catholic High School baseball team hit the road for the first time this season and came home with its first loss as well.

The Saints fell behind early and never found their groove as Jones Senior christened its new athletics complex with a 6-2 victory. JPII managed only two hits — a triple by senior Caleb Thrift and a single by freshman J.T. Williams — and committed three errors in the field.

Thrift’s triple came in the third inning after the first seven Saints had been set down in order. Unfortunately, he was left stranded at third after the next two batters also were retired.

Facing a 3-0 deficit, JPII scored both its runs in the top of the fourth. Ryker Butcher reached on a one-out walk, then stole second and third. With two outs, Tyler Winkler was hit by a pitch and took second on defensive indifference to put runners at second and third. Williams followed with a single to drive in Butcher and move Winkler to third. With Aaron Gregory at bat, Winkler scored on a wild pitch.

Williams and Gregory combined to limit the Trojans to six hits. Williams, making his high school debut on the mound, struck out four in his two innings of work. Gregory pitched the final four frames and looked sharp as well, with three strikeouts. The pair combined to give up three walks.

Jones Senior’s Jace Weatherington and Maja Brown kept JPII’s bats silent most of the game, with Weatherington getting the win over five strong innings and Brown shutting the door in the last two as he struck out five Saints. Weatherington also gave the Trojans a 2-0 lead with a home run over the center-field fence in the first.

JPII will return home and open CPIC play with a doubleheader on Tuesday against Epiphany. A busy week will continue with a home game against conference power Wayne Country Day on Thursday, March 9, and a road trip to Faith Christian in Rocky Mount on Friday.