PINEHURST- The Crisp Academy baseball team squared off with the Fullington Academy Trojans on Thursday afternoon in Pinehurst. The Wildcats came away with their first win of the season in the game after pulling away in the fourth inning.

Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard in the first inning. Fullington threatened after getting a runner over to third on an error in the bottom of the first, but Crisp starting pitcher, Griffin Gravitt, was able to get the Wildcats out of the inning without conceding a run.

Crisp Academy then put three runs on the board in the top of the second inning. The Wildcats loaded the bases with no outs after three consecutive singles from Gravitt, Spencer Stubbs and Zach Pate. Fullington got a double play shortly after to leave CA with runners at second and third with two outs. Julian Floyd was able to run out an infield hit in the next at bat to load the bases back up, and Aaron Titshaw came up next and provided the runs with a three-RBI double. The Wildcats led 3-0 going into the bottom of the second.

The Trojans were able to get a couple of base runners in the inning, but Gravitt recorded two strikeouts to end the threat. The Wildcats added two more runs to their lead in the top of the third frame.

Dylan Farmer led off the inning by reaching base on a hit by pitch, and subsequently stole second. Baylor Pless reached base next after a popup dropped on the infield. The Wildcats then had runners at second and third after a stolen base by Pless. Blake Odom subsequently knocked in the fourth Wildcat run of the game with a sacrifice fly that sent Farmer in to score. Pless would then score on an error after Stubbs put the ball in play on the infield, and CA led 5-0 going into the bottom half of the third.

Fullington got back in the game with three runs in the bottom of the third. After a leadoff single, Jack McLeod got a base hit to give the Trojans runners at first and third with no one out. Chase Smith then recorded an RBI groundout to get Fullington on the board. Houston Hawkins kept the offense going for the Trojans with a single to right center that moved McLeod up to third base. McLeod would come in to score shortly after on a passed ball. Hunter Hughes pushed the final Fullington run of the inning across with an RBI double to send Hawkins home. Crisp maintained the lead at 5-3 entering the fourth inning.

The Wildcats piled on nine more runs to their total in the top of the fourth inning. Garrett Gravitt led off the inning with an infield hit, and two batters later, Titshaw reached base on an infield hit and then stole second. A balk by the Fullington pitcher sent Garrett Gravitt home and moved Titshaw up to third base. Dylan Farmer kept the line moving with an RBI single to send Titshaw home. The run gave the Wildcats a 7-3 lead at that point with still just one out in the inning.

Pless and Odom both reached base in the next two Crisp at bats and Griffin Gravitt extended the Wildcat lead with a two-run single that scored Farmer and Pless. Stubbs then made the score 11-3 with a two-run double, which sent Odom and Noah Mercer home. Pate, Titshaw and Farmer all tacked on another RBI apiece later in the inning, and the Wildcats were leading 14-3 entering the bottom of the fourth.

Jack McLeod tacked on Fullington’s fourth run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Trojans could not manage to bring the score any closer than that. Both teams went scoreless in the fifth inning, so the game was shortened for a 14-4 run-rule win for Crisp Academy.

Griffin Gravitt picked up the win on the mound for the Wildcats by going three and one third innings and giving up four runs, while striking out three. Titshaw finished the game off for the Wildcats by recording the final five outs in the game, including three strikeouts in the final inning.

Titshaw, Pate, Stubbs and Griffin Gravitt all finished the game with two hits each. Titshaw also led the team with four RBIs in the game, while Farmer, Gravitt and Stubbs each knocked in two runs in the game.

The win evened up the Wildcats’ record at 1-1 going into their first home game of the season today against region opponent, Terrell Academy. CA will play their next game on Tuesday at SGA at 4:30.

Fullington entered their fourth game of the season today with a record of 0-3 after the loss to Crisp. Their next game will be at Grace Christian Academy on Tuesday.