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Brady Marshall sent a pitch flying over the fence, Brice Wilson struck out five in two relief innings and North Davie’s baseball team pounded visiting North Carolina Leadership Academy 9-2 on March 21.

After Marshall slammed a three-run homer, he was walked three times. Blake French (triple) and Bracken Byington had two hits each as the Wildcats raced to a 7-1 lead by the end of the second inning. Ty Sain and Hayden Potts each knocked in two runs.

The winning pitcher was Josh Whitaker, who struck out five and only allowed two hits in four innings. After Wilson dominated the fifth and sixth, Noah Potts struck out two in a scoreless seventh.

“Josh had good command of his fastball and mixed up pitches well,” coach Trevor Gooch said.

Not only did Marshall go yard, he flashed the leather at third. “Brady made some defensive gems,” Gooch said.

ND 10, Wesleyan 0

One day later, Marshall showed another facet of his skill set, starting on the mound and striking out seven in three one-hit innings. Ian Patton and Jacob Morgan followed with one relief inning each as North punished Wesleyan Christian Academy in five innings.

“Brady was dominant,” Gooch said. “He had a lively fastball as well as a mixture of offspeed pitches.”

Tanner Steinour (triple), Braxton Hunter (three RBIs) and Marshall had one hit each as North remained undefeated through five games. Second baseman Nathan Nuckols was the defensive player of the game, Gooch said.

Watauga 17, ND 11

North’s bid for an undefeated season was ruined at Watauga on March 25. The hosts scored in five of six at-bats and dropped the Wildcats to 4-1-1.

Potts was the only North pitcher out of five to keep Watauga off the scoreboard as he struck out the side in the sixth.

North rallied to tie the score at 3 in the top of the third, but Watauga broke it wide open by scoring seven in the bottom half.

Give the Wildcats credit for not quitting. Down 14-4 in the fifth and in danger of getting run-ruled, they came charging back within striking distance with seven runs. Watauga, though, responded with three in the bottom of the inning.

“Watauga hit the ball well,” Gooch said. “I was really proud of the way our guys fought back to extend the game.”

French (3-4, triple, two RBIs) paced the North attack. Marshall (2-4, double, three RBIs) and Byington (2-3) had two hits each.

Gooch added that Byington “was the defensive standout with some nice catches in left field.”