WILSON – In the opening game of the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA) 1-A baseball state tournament the Lawrence Academy Warriors rode the right arm of junior Scott Edge and withstood a late Wayne Christian rally to take a 6-3 win over the Eagles Friday afternoon at Fleming Stadium.

Edge had a perfect game going for five and one-third innings and a no-hitter going into the seventh before the Eagles late game rally.

The contest was a pitching duel between Edge and Wayne Christian senior right-hander Stephen Gallagher as neither pitcher allowed a hit in the first three innings.

The Warriors struck for a single run in the fourth as Chad Whitehead walked with one out. Blake Hill followed with the game’s first hit – a double that hugged the leftfield line putting runners on second and third with one out.

William Norrell’s sacrifice fly to left scored Whitehead with the game’s first run, but Gallagher got Scott Edge to fly to center to get out of the inning.

After sitting Wayne Christina down in order in the fifth frame, Lawrence broke the game open with four runs with all coming with two out.

Ryan Lilley blooped a single to left, Evan Holton was hit by a pitch and Cameron Peed’s pop-up was dropped to load the bases. Chad Whitehead was hit by a pitch to force home one run and Blake Hill then delivered the game’s big blow, a triple down the leftfield line, clearing the bases and upping the Warrior lead to 5-0.

Meanwhile, LA pitcher Scott Edge was coasting along having retired the first 16 Wayne Christian hitters in order before Travis Mooring became their first base runner as his ground ball was muffed by shortstop Evan Holton. Mooring’s stay on the base paths was short lived as Warriors catcher Chad Whitehead caught him napping and promptly threw a strike picking him off.

Lawrence then added a single run in the bottom of the sixth as Head Coach Robert Kravitz elected to play small ball. Scott Edke drew a walk, was sacrificed to second by Patrick Dilday and raced home on pinch hitter Darren Armstrong’s single to left.

Edge saw his no hit bid sail out the window as Wayne Christian’s Travis Thomas led off the seventh with a chopper up the middle that barely eluded the glove of Warrior shortstop Evan Holton.

Thomas took second when Edge’s pickoff attempt got by Warrior first baseman Patrick Dilday and moved over to third on Dylan Smith’s fly out to right. Chase Darden followed with a ground ball between the legs of Dilday for an error allowing Thomas to score the Eagles’ first run.

Darden was sent to second base on an obstruction call and scored when his attempted steal of third saw catcher Whitehead’s throw sail into left field. Stephen Gallagher then singled to center before Edge fanned Chandler Harrell for the second out.

Freshman Gregory Johnson then ripped a double to right center scoring Gallagher before Edge buckled down and fanned Luke Howell to end the contest.

Edge got the win for Lawrence going the distance allowing three hits, striking out 10 and not issuing a walk. Stephen Gallagher took the loss for Wayne Christian despite pitching a fine game in his own right holding the normal potent Lawrence bats to only four hits.

Blake Hill led the Warriors going 2-for-3 with a double and triple and four RBIs. Gregory Johnson’s double was the big blow for Wayne Christian.