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Ty Sain and Blake French combined for four hits and seven RBIs as North Davie’s baseball team dominated 14-7 at North Carolina Leadership Academy on March 7.

Sain went 2 for 4 with five RBIs and French went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs as the Wildcats raced to a 14-1 lead through four and a half innings. Tanner Steinour (1-2) doubled and scored two runs, and Jack Greer (1-3) knocked in two.

“Our middle of the lineup – Sain and French – cranked out some big hits with men on base,” coach Trevor Gooch said.

Gooch used four arms, getting two innings from Ty Greene, 1.1 each from Alex Bowles and Nolan Allen and the final out from Wade Ridenhour. Greene struck out four. Gooch said the defensive player of the game was catcher Tanner Steinour.

ND 4, Ellis 3

Ellis loaded the bases in the top of the sixth and seventh innings but failed to score as North Davie prevailed on March 8. Sain earned the save by striking out the final batter looking with the bases full.

Ian Patton (4.2 innings, six Ks) and French (two scoreless innings) threw until Gooch turned to Sain with two outs in the seventh.

“Ian had a quality start by throwing low, hard strikes and mixing in some offspeed pitches,” Gooch said. “Blake and Ty pitched well in relief.”

The Wildcats, who jumped ahead 4-1 and ultimately improved to 3-1, got two hits from Steinour and Patton and one from Hayden Potts and Greer.

“Tanner continued his hot bat and was solid as a rock behind the plate blocking balls in the dirt,” he said. “Ian also helped himself at the plate.”

Brandon Forrest threw the first five innings for Ellis. Easton Sanders relieved and fanned two of three batters in the sixth.

But it was a frustrating loss for the Jaguars, who a day earlier opened the season with a 19-3 rout of South Davie.

“We lost a heartbreaker,” coach Mike Dinkins said. “They did not score an earned run.”