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Fireballer Brandon Forest only faced 17 batters in 5 innings, and Ben Bost, Levi Block and Wade Hefner banged two hits each as the Ellis baseball team smothered visiting Southeast, 10-0, in the first round of the Tri-County Conference Tournament on April 29.

Forest struck out 10 without a walk in a one-hitter that saw him fire 43 of 56 pitches for strikes. Hefner went 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs. Bost and Block both went 2 for 3, with Block knocking in a pair.

Getting one hit were Forest (1-2), Mason Driver (1-3), Cayden Thalasinos (1-3) and Tay Settecasi (1-3).

Erwin 6, Ellis 1

The Jaguars’ nine-game winning streak ended in the semifinals on May 2.

The Eagles overcame Forest’s 11 Ks by pounding out eight hits and scoring six runs across the third, fourth and fifth innings.

Visiting Ellis finished with six hits, including two from Settecasi (2-3). Going 1-3 were Driver, Forest, Bowman Blakely and Hefner. Driver relieved Forest in the seventh and put up a zero.

This was the same team that eliminated North Davie in the first round. This was the first Erwin-Ellis meeting of the season, and it left the Jaguars with a 10-2 record.

“They’re a good team,” assistant coach Frank Nifong said of Erwin. “They have excellent bats and very good pitching.”

Erwin 8, North 3

Erwin dealt North Davie two losses in the final week of the season, including a season-ender in the first round of the conference tournament on April 30.

The relentless Eagles put up crooked numbers in the first, second, fourth and fifth and forced North to settle for an 8-6 record.

The Wildcats were barely outhit (8-7), but they hurt themselves with four errors. Getting one hit each were Easton Stanley (1-4), Wade Ridenhour (1-4), Taylor Shenberger (1-3), Noah Potts (1-4), Jason Riddle (1-3), Sawyer Hall (1-3) and Aydan Shay (1-3).

A bright spot was Potts’ relief pitching. In 1.2 innings, he struck out four of six batters and allowed one baserunner.