MERRY HILL – Ring up another one.

Lawrence Academy used a four-run fifth inning to defeat archrival Ridgecroft School 12-2 here Tuesday afternoon as they scored Tarheel Independent Conference victory number four.

The Warriors (9-2) got three near-perfect innings from winning pitcher Jonathan Brantley. The right-hander tossed three innings of one-hit baseball, walked just one and struck out four.

Meanwhile, the Warrior bats got cranked up early as they scored three runs in the first frame and five in the second.

Evan Holton scored in the first on a Daniel Oliver RBI-groundout while Cameron Peed came home when William Norrell was issued a bases-loaded walk. Kyle Meads scored on a Blake Hill RBI-single to make it 3-0.

Lawrence added five more marks in the second inning to take an early 8-0 advantage.

Holton came across on a bases loaded walk to Meads while Oliver and Shane Leggett scored on a two-RBI single by Norrell. Meads and Norrell scored when T.J. Johnston had a two-run base hit that made it 8-0.

Ridgecroft scored once in the fourth inning when Nathan Pearce scored as Braxton Sumner reached on an error. Blake Sumner then scored in the fifth on a Pearce double to make it 8-2.

The Warriors, however, ended the game with four runs in the fifth inning.

Whitehead had a three-run homer for the Warriors while Oliver scored on a double by Meads.

In addition to Brantley’s work, the Warriors got two innings from Norrell. He allowed five hits and one earned run while striking out four and walking none.

Holton led the Warriors’ offense with a 2-for-2 day that included two runs scored and three stolen bases. Whitehead was 1-for-3 with a three-run homer and three RBIs.

Pearce paced Ridgecroft with a 1-for-3 day that included a double.

The win for Lawrence came a day after beating Jamesville High School by the same score (12-2).

In that matchup, the Warriors got three runs in the first, five in the second and four in the fifth to defeat the Bullets in a non-conference contest.

In the first frame, Holton scored on a Whitehead single while Leggett and Meads came home on a Blake Hill double.

The Warriors were paced by Holton who was 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored as well as Whitehead (2-for-3) and Norrell (1-for-2).

Oliver picked up the pitching victory, going three innings. He gave up one earned run, struck out six and allowed four hits. Scott Edge tossed the final two innings, giving up no hits and walking two while striking out five.