AHOSKIE – Brandon Warren pitched a two-hitter here Friday night as Hertford County beat Edenton 11-1 in a Northeastern Coastal Conference baseball game.

With the win, the Bears clinched a berth in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A playoffs. They currently lead the standings in the 3-A division of the league.

“It’s about time we took advantage of another team’s mistakes instead of other teams taking advantage of ours,” HCHS baseball boss Chris Towell said. “We put some runs on the board for Brandon. We got great pitching, timely hitting and good defense.”

The Bears opened the scoring with one run in the bottom of the second stanza.

Mitchell Godwin reached on an error. Courtesy runner Amard Nichols went to third on a wild pickoff throw by first. Nichols then scored when Tyler Pryor reached on an error to make it 1-0.

Hertford County added another pair in the bottom of the third inning.

Grayson Toms singled to center and went to second on an error. Travis Ellis then had a bunt single. Toms scored when Ellis reached third on an error on the play. Ellis then came home on a Richard Burns RBI-groundout.

Edenton scored its only run of the game in the top of the fourth frame to trim their deficit to 3-1.

Hertford County then plated eight marks in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Edward Joyner walked and went to second when Warren reached first on an error. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Joyner then scored on a Pryor RBI-single and Warren scored when Monterio Hunter reached on an error.

Nichols, again serving as a courtesy runner, scored when Toms blasted a ground-rule double to left-center field. Hunter and Toms then scored on an Ellis two-run double down the right-field line.

Ellis scored himself when Burns singled to center. Burns moved to second on the throw home and then scored on a Joyner RBI-double to left-center field.

Joyner went to third on a Warren single and scored when Godwin singled to end the game with an 11-1 final.

Warren (6-2) pitched six innings for the win, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out six.

The Bears put together 10 hits during the contest led by Toms and Ellis with two hits each.

Hertford County improved to 10-8 overall with the win and 5-4 in the league. They travel to Pasquotank County High School tonight (Tuesday) for a conference game. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

The Bears will then host non-league foe Northampton County High School – East on Thursday at 5 p.m.