Baseball gets job done at Greenfield, wins 7-4

The John Paul II Catholic High School baseball team went on the road Tuesday and took care of business, dispatching of Greenfield 7-4.

The Saints improved to 8-4 overall and 4-2 in the CPIC as the Knights dropped to 4-4 and 2-3.

JPII got multiple-hit games from Nike Wiggins (2-for-4, double, 2 RBI, 2 runs), Axel Keller (2-for-4, double, 1 RBI, 1 run) and Tyler Winkler (2-for-4, triple, 2 RBI). Ray Shaw had a single with one RBI and a run scored, and Ryker Butcher had a single with a pair of runs scored. 

On the mound, J.T. Williams and Ethan Staton combined to keep Greenfield at bay. Williams got the win, going three innings and striking out five, and Staton got a quality save, finishing the game and allowing no earned runs.

JPII broke a 2-all tie with five runs in the top of the fourth, all scored with two outs. Butcher led off with a walk before the next two batters were retired. With Butcher at second after a steal, Wiggins plated him with a single. Wiggins then stole second and came around to score on Shaw’s single. Williams reached on an error to place runnners on first and second before Keller doubled to center to score Shaw and move Williams to third. Joseph Caporossi was inserted as a courtesy runner for Williams, and he and Keller both scored on a single to center by Winkler.

The Saints scored single runs in the first and second. Wiggins led off the game with a double and came around when Williams reached on an error. In the second, Butcher got on board on a one-out single and eventually got around when Wiggins grounded into a fielder’s choice. 

JPII has a big test ahead of it as it travels to Grace Christian in Sanford on Friday for a 5 p.m. game. Grace Christian, which won the NCISAA Class 1A state championship last year, was 6-1 before facing Wake County Home School on Tuesday and also has a contest at St. Thomas More on Thursday.