ROBERSONVILLE – Basketball may have ended Wednesday for Bertie High School, but it didn’t take long for baseball to kick in.

The Falcons won their season opener Friday on the road at South Creek High School as Adam Cowand pitched a three hitter and the Bertie bats produced the runs in a 5-2 win.

Bertie opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Javier Pagoda, Cowand, and Alex Harmon all walked to load the bases. Pagoda was then forced out at home plate on a groundout but both runners moved up into scoring position. Cowand would later score on a wild pitch for Bertie’s first run of the year, and a 1-0 lead. Trekell Scott, pinch running for Harmon, came across with the second run of the inning on an error allowing the Falcons to lead it 2-0 after a half-inning of play.

The Falcons added another run in the top of the fifth when Christian Bland singled. Archie Wesson came on to pinch-run and stole second to get into scoring position. Cowand followed and reached second on a South Creek throwing error, allowing Wesson to score for a 3-0 Bertie lead after four-and-a-half innings of play.

Bertie’s final two runs came in the top of the seventh inning.  Michael Scott opened the frame with a single and Jacob Damo followed, doubling Scott all the way to third. Scott later scored the fourth Falcon run of the game on a Matthew Weaver ground-out RBI. Damo scored Bertie’s final run of the game when Bland reached on an error. Bertie led it 5-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning.

However, the game would not end without drama. South Creek made it interesting by picking up a pair of runs in their half of the final frame, but no more as Bertie wins it with a 5-2 final.

Cowand pitched six and two-thirds innings for the win. Despite losing his shutout he allowed two runs on three hits and had seven strikeouts. Harmon pitched the final one-third of the seventh to pick up the save and he had one strikeout.

“I was very pleased with the effort,” said veteran Bertie coach Randy Whitaker. “Adam pitched a great game and I’m happy to start the year off with a win.”

Bertie is 1-0 and played Southside High School in Chocowinity on Monday, but that game was not final by press time. The Falcons open their home schedule on Wednesday in Windsor against Bear Grass Charter School at 5 p.m. and have another home date on Friday against South Creek.