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Powell no-hits Knights; Trojans still lose

By Chris Edwards
Citizen Journalist

Coming into play Monday, July 20, the Garner Trojans knew what they had to do in order to make the playoffs — somewhere the Trojans had not been since the inception of the Central Carolina Scholastic Baseball League five years ago.

Matt Powell delivers home the pitch for Garner Monday, July 20. Powell threw a no-hitter with eight strikeouts against Knightdale. REESE TORRUELLA, CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Trojans gave the ball to rising senior Matt Powell to start the game, banking that Powell would have a better outing than he did in his first summer start where he lasted around two innings. Garner also hoped Powell could return to form from earlier in the summer when his ERA was below three for American Legion Post 232.

Powell ended up stealing the show Monday night as he cruised through the game’s first three innings with little problem. Powell even helped his own cause at the plate, driving home C.J. Schmitt with two outs in the bottom of the first to give Garner a 1-0 lead.

The Garner right-hander kept the game 1-0 as he continued to keep Knightdale hitters off balance. Unfortunately, Trojan defense let him down in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Reese Bridgers walked to start the inning and later scored on a throwing error by Powell with a sacrifice bunt, allowing Bridgers to score and bringing Micheal Green to third; Green scored later in the frame.

When the dust had settled and the inning was over, the Trojans had given up three un-earned runs and found themselves down 3-1 going into the fifth inning.
In the top of the fifth, the Trojans were in need of a run to gain some momentum, and Jesse Fisher provided that spark. Fisher walked to start the inning then advanced to third base when Green overthrew first base on a pick-off attempt. Fisher scored on a pass ball to cut the lead to one run at 3-2.

But Garner got no closer. Green shut down the Trojans over the final two innings, dashing their hopes of a playoff berth in the summer. Garner finished the summer season with at 9-5 record, but they have a lot of positives to build on for the spring season.

Related articles:

• Varsity summer league season ends
• Redemption week a success for the Trojans
• Garner High summer league splits weeks with 1 win, 1 loss

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