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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

Craig McBride made a huge splash in his season debut on the mound, and Carson Queen and Parker Davis paced the offense as the Mocksville Junior Legion baseball team pounded visiting Mt. Pleasant in the first game of the doubleheader on June 1.

The second game was also all Mocksville, a 12-5 win that evened its record at 3-3.

In game one, McBride was the story. He pitched a five-hitter with zero walks. He fired 62 strikes in 86 pitches and only faced 27 batters in seven innings.

“It was a fantastic outing,” coach Chad Cox said of McBride, who normally mans center field. “We told him we had a lot of games coming up in a short amount of time, so we really needed him to throw strikes. After the first couple of innings, he was dealing and we just ran with him. I knew Craig could pitch, so we gave him the ball and he did really well.”

Mocksville got all the runs it would need in the bottom of the first. McBride, Queen and Davis provided hits as the hosts burst to a 3-0 lead.

Queen and Davis both went 2 for 3 with a double. Mocksville got 1-for-3 efforts from Logan Allen, McBride, Nate Barr and Corbin Angus.

Game 2

Later in the evening, Kason Stewart and Queen completely went off as Mocksville secured the sweep. Stewart, the third batter in the order, went 4 for 5 with two runs, three RBIs and three doubles.

“Kason started off a little rocky (this season), just not getting the pitches he wants to drive,” Cox said. “But Kason is a ballplayer I’ve been around and I know his capabilities. His history with me is the reason he bats in the middle of the lineup, and I had faith that he would come around.”

The No. 2 batter, Queen, also had a monster game, going 3 for 5 with three runs, three RBIs and two doubles.

“Carson is always at the top of the lineup for a reason,” Cox said. “He’s a hitter and he runs the bases well. On top of that, his glove is always outstanding (at shortstop).”

It was actually a competitive game until Mocksville broke it open in the fourth. Angus walked, Jacob Hicks laid down a bunt hit and Jackson Lea walked to set the table for Queen, who responded with a two-run double. Stewart followed with one of his doubles. Then came a triple from Barr, who capped a five-run explosion and pushed the Mocksville lead to 6-1.

Mocksville piled up 16 hits, including two from Barr (2-2, walk), Aaron Hutchens (2-2), Angus (2-2, three runs, two walks) and Hicks (2-3). Lea went 1-3 with two runs.

Two of Mocksville’s four pitchers kept Mt. Pleasant from scoring. Joshua Whitaker threw two scoreless innings, and Queen finished up the final 2.1 innings while allowing just one hit.

Notes: One day before hosting Mt. Pleasant, Mocksville was crushed 11-0 at South Rowan. Allen (1-3), Barr (1-2), Hicks (1-2) and Jacob Morgan (1-1) had Mocksville’s 4 hits. Queen had 2 walks. South knocked around 3 pitchers and ended the game in four and a half innings.