It didn’t take long for Bethel Christian Academy to make some needed adjustments.
A day after dropping a one-run decision to Friendship Christian School in Raleigh — a game the Trojans lost despite out-hitting their opponents and stealing 12 bases — Bethel bounced back with a 5-3 win against visiting Wilmington Christian Academy on the back of a dominating performance from Ben Potter.
The sophomore hurler scattered nine hits over seven innings, recorded three strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter while throwing just 87 pitches in the complete game win.
“He did an outstanding job on the mound,” said Bethel coach Kenny Sutton, whose team improved to 10-7 and 7-2 in NCCSA 2A District 3 play. “This was a very good team we just played.”
The win completed a season sweep over the Patriots and, more importantly, secured the district’s top spot in the upcoming state playoffs for the Trojans.
Against the Patriots, Potter worked around leadoff singles in the second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings and surrendered just one earned run, in the third inning.
“I don’t try to overpower anybody,” he said. “I pitch to contact and let my defense work behind me.”
Potter said the playoff implications were a big factor for his team, as was the Trojans’ desire to bounce back from a disappointing effort on Thursday.
“This was huge for us,” he said. “It gives us home field through the playoffs, and it was a big turnaround from yesterday coming off a loss in Raleigh. We responded well to it.”
While Potter was busy keeping the Patriots off-balance from the mound, he got nearly all the offense he needed from Tyler Antwine.
The senior shortstop made several dazzling plays in the field, including the start of an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to get his team out of a second-inning jam with no runs scored. At the plate, he went 3-for-3 with an RBI double in the second. He also scored on a Potter single in the fourth and stole three bases in the game.
“He’s a senior, so he’s expected to be a leader,” Sutton said. “When he comes out and plays like that, he puts everyone in line with him.”
The Trojans notched the game’s first run in the second when catcher Daniel Daugherty (1-for-2, two runs) singled and scored on Antwine’s double. The Patriots took a 2-1 lead in the next inning on a pair of singles and an infield error.
Bethel tied the game in the home half of the third when Potter walked, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI bunt single with two outs from centerfielder Davon Edwards.
Bethel scored twice more in the fourth and didn’t relinquish its lead again, despite stranding runners in scoring position in five of six innings. The other side of that predicament, Sutton said, was that his Trojans got their lead-off batter on base in four different innings.
“When you get them on early, you have the possibility of leaving them on,” Sutton said.
Bethel, which plays host to the state tournament this year, should receive home-field advantage through the playoffs, Sutton said. The team will play Thursday or Friday in a first-round game. Final playoff seeding will be announced Wednesday.
Wilmington Christian 002 010 0—3 9 1
Bethel Christian 011 210 x—5 7 2
Robbins, Tart (5) and Marston; Potter and Daugherty. W—Potter. L—Robbins.