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Panthers have company
By Duane Knight, CorrespondentThe St. Stephens Indians came to Lenoir with revenge on their minds after an earlier 6-3 loss to Hibriten. They went back to Catawba County with a 4-3 win and a share of first place in the Catawba Valley Athletic Conference. After winning 11 of its first 12 games this year, Hibriten has now lost two games in a row and has dropped three of its last five. “There are a few things that we need to work on,” Hibriten coach Terry Henthorne said. “We'll get some things ship shape and come back Friday, and hopefully get a win (at Bunker Hill).” With the score tied at 3-3 entering the top of the seventh, St. Stephens catcher Eric Shaver hit a double high into the lights of right field. He later scored the winning run on a throwing error. “A big win tonight,” said St. Stephens coach and Granite Falls resident Darel Reese. “We can't rest. We've got Fred T. Foard on Friday night and they are right behind us. What can you say about Hibriten? Coach Henthorne does a great job and what impresses me is his pitching staff.” Patrick McEachern, the Indians' pitching ace, earned the four-hit win. He walked one and struck out nine Panthers. “We faced one of the top pitchers in the conference tonight,” Henthorne said. “He came out and pitched a good ball game.” Jon Easton took the loss for Hibriten. He gave up six hits, struck out seven, but walked nine Indians while throwing 152 pitches in a complete-game effort. St. Stephens (13-5 overall, 11-3 CVAC) scored a run in the first inning, thanks to three walks and an RBI base hit by Bradley Canipe, but left three runners on base. The Indians left 12 runners on base for the night, eight of them in scoring position. Hibriten (13-4, 11-3 CVAC) rallied in the second inning. McEachern hit batters Petey Brookshire, Gavin Christian and Ethan Turner to load the bases. Thomas Mabe then laced a single to right field, scoring Brookshire and Christian. Brandon Banks (running for Turner) scored on the first of two Matt Edwards singles. The Indians tied the game in the top of the fourth, on three walks, a single by Brian Litwin and a wild pitch. Defensive heroics by the Panthers in the third inning limited the Indians to no runs. Second baseman Edwards dove over second base to retreive a line drive by Andrew Benton and then threw him out at first. Also, third baseman Joel Woods made a back-handed stop of a ball hit by Shaver and gunned him down with a long throw to first base. The Panthers entered the game short-handed. Shortstop/pitcher Bryan Tuttle did not play due to a shoulder injury and catcher Trent Reynolds was nursing a leg injury. Both were injured in Hibriten's 7-3 loss to Newton-Conover Monday. Hibriten and Bunker Hill meet at 7 p.m. Friday in Claremont. Hibriten JVs take a loss The Hibriten junior varsity team lost 11-10 Wednesday to St. Stephens. The Panthers are now 14-3. Austin Beard and Jonathan Greene had three hits apiece to lead the Panthers while Jonathan Whitehead and Brandon Curtain had two hits each. Other key hits came from Alex Austin and Kyle Haney.
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