Zack Meares pitched a three-hit complete game and struck out thirteen batters to lead Elizabethtown to a 4-3 victory over Burgaw in the second round of the North Carolina Dixie Youth Majors State Tournament Sunday night in Cerro Gordo.
Meares slammed a one-out double in the first inning, and Brady Hollingsworth blasted a 2-1 count fastball over the center field fence to give Elizabethtown a 2-0 lead. Rasean McKoy and Jacob Priest drew walks later in the inning but were unable to score.
Burgaw sliced the lead in half on a second-inning solo home run. Another batter doubled but was stranded as Meares struck out the final batter of the inning.
With one out in the bottom of the third, Ethan Johnson reached base on a fielder’s choice, and Meares walloped a triple to drive in Johnson. Meares darted home on a passed ball to extend the Elizabethtown lead to 4-1 after three innings.
Burgaw trimmed the lead to 4-3 in the top of the fourth inning on an error and two run homer.
Meares struck out the side in the fifth inning to keep the Elizabethtown lead at 4-3.
Elizabethtown’s Victor Campbell reached base on an error in the fifth inning, and two outs later, the game was delayed due to lightning. When play resumed, Burgaw retired the final batter to end the inning.
Meares struck out three of the four batters that he faced in the top of the sixth inning to secure the victory.
Meares smashed a double and a triple, drove in a run and scored two runs to lead the Elizabethtown hitters. Hollingsworth slugged the two-run homer, and Johnson scored a run.
Elizabethtown will face Kannapolis Monday night at 7:30 in a battle of undefeated teams.
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