Woodington lets late lead slip in 4-3 loss to Norwayne

Information submitted by coach Houston

KINSTON — Woodington saw a strong performance slip away in the final moments Saturday, falling 4-3 to Norwayne Middle School on a walk-off sequence at Grainger Stadium.

Tied at three in the bottom of the seventh, Norwayne capitalized on a dropped third strike to bring home the winning run, ending the game on the final play.

Despite the loss, Woodington finished with a 6-4 advantage in hits. Axel Ard and Daelin Tyndall led the way at the plate with two hits apiece, while Ard also drove in a team-high two runs from the middle of the lineup, finishing 2-for-3.

Woodington broke through first in the fifth inning, taking advantage of a defensive miscue that brought in two runs. Norwayne answered in the bottom half of the inning, using a Woodington error to even the score at 2-2.

The Raiders regained the lead in the sixth when Tyndall delivered a go-ahead double to make it 3-2, setting the stage for a tense final inning.

Norwayne responded in the seventh, using a clutch single down the left field line to tie the game before the decisive dropped third strike allowed the winning run to cross.

Ard got the start on the mound for Woodington, working 4 2/3 innings while allowing three hits and two runs, none earned, with three strikeouts and six walks. Norwayne’s starter limited Woodington early, allowing just one hit across three scoreless innings while walking four.

Norwayne showed patience throughout, drawing nine walks in the game. The team finished with four hits and drove in multiple runs in key spots to complete the comeback.

The matchup took place at Grainger Stadium in Kinston, home of the Down East Bird Dawgs, during the DBC Easter Baseball Classic.