BURLINGTON, N.C. – An error on the first play of the game was the sign of a rough afternoon to come for South Granville, as East Rutherford lead-off man Holden Greene reached on a fielding error. Then Kendall McGowan laced a triple down the left field line to make it 1-0. East Rutherford ran away from there, coasting to an 8-0 win in game one of the 2A Baseball State Championship series.
The Cavaliers batted around in the fourth inning when they added six more runs to their tally on just two hits in the inning, as three more South Granville errors spelled their undoing. After the top of the fourth explosion, East Rutherford led 7-0 and turned it over to starting pitcher Ethan Stewart.
Stewart completely stymied the South Granville offense only allowing five hits in a complete game shutout. He struck out ten on the afternoon with only one walk.
The Cavaliers added one more run in the fifth inning as Stewart led off the inning with a double and came around to score on an RBI-single by Nick Strickland making it 8-0.
East Rutherford looks to secure their sixth baseball state championship in school history with a win in game two of the series which is scheduled for Saturday night following the conclusion of game three of the 3A State Championship Series between Marvin Ridge and Topsail.