The North Forsyth Raiders varsity baseball team started off the season1-0 as they hosted the Milton Eagles on Feb. 17 in Raider Valley. The Raiders accumulated four hits and tagged on six runs, beating the Eagles 6-2.

Junior Pitcher #21 Brett Barfield started on the mound as he threw four innings, gathering up seven strikeouts. He walked three batters and only allowed two hits, allowing the Raiders to take an early lead. Milton struggled in the field as they had four errors, setting up opportunities for the Raiders to score.

Senior #13 Coby Hunt also contributed to the win despite having a broken wrist. He served as a pinch-runner for Barfield and even came around to score. When asked how he aids the team despite his injury, he explained, “I always try to do a good job in the dugout whether it be cheering on my teammates or just keeping the energy up. Whatever the team needs is what I am always trying to do.

It did not take long for the Raiders to score as they scored two runs in the second inning as #9, senior Michael Sills, drove an RBI single into right field to bring home the first run of the game. Sills went two for three at the plate with an RBI, stolen base and two runs scored.

The Raiders looked polished on defense, committing no errors in the field and only allowing three hits in the game. Sophomore #15 Andrew Elkhill took over on the mound with a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning and had early struggles. This allowed the Eagles to tie up the game after walking four batters and striking out one.  

In the bottom of the fifth, the Raiders offense sparked accumulating hits from Sills, senior third baseman #2 Aaron Griffin and an RBI base hit from junior center fielder #4 Tristan Davis as the Raiders pushed across four runs to go up 6-2.

In the sixth inning, Elkhill gained back control giving up one hit and throwing three strikeouts to retire the side in a scoreless inning. Sills came to the mound in the top of the seventh in an effort to shut the door. Sills faced three batters and three straight outs with two strikeouts to close the game and held the 6-2 score for a Raiders win.

When asked about how important it was to win the first game, Sills said, “It was very important. We are hoping it sets the tone for the rest of the season”. He also commented, “We need to improve our chemistry since we lost a lot of seniors from the previous year. We have new starters, so we just need to find our groove and play as a team.”