With 4 to 5 inches of run on a fastball that topped out at 94 miles per hour, Tyree Johnson was virtually unhittable Tuesday night as the senior southpaw struck out 13 in a complete game shutout for New Hanover.
In a contest that was moved to Brooks Field on the campus of UNCW due to ongoing renovations to Buck Hardee Field at the Legion Sports Complex, Johnson hit the mid 90s in the opening inning and dominated with a heater that stayed consistent from 86-92 miles per hour.
“Tyree has been good all year,” said New Hanover Coach Richard Foy. “If you look back at his only two losses of the season, he gave us one unearned run in each of those two appearances and today, his velocity was special.
“There are four or five top-notch hitters in that New Bern lineup and I didn’t see a comfortable at-bat all night. He was outstanding.”
The Wildcats took advantage of two miscues in the first to put men on the corners with nobody out and Ward Coleman delivered with a sacrifice fly in the eighth pitch of his at-bat to plate the lone run of the ballgame in a 1-0 win.
New Bern’s Colin Schmid let up one unearned run on three hits in six innings of work, but the Bears struggled to get a hold of Johnson, who issued three walks and allowed just one Bears’ base runner reach scoring position.
“My fastball is my number one pitch and when I’m able to locate that pitch, it’s tough to hit,” said Johnson, who moved to 9-2 on the hill this season. “Coach [Scott] Sandlin [and I] have really been working over this past year since I played for Post 10 and he’s my pitching coach. It’s been helping me a lot.”
Cory Everett reached second to lead off the game on a hustle play off an infield pop-up that was misplayed by the New Bern shortstop, and after Lambert Long laid down a sacrifice bunt to reach base on an E-1, Coleman scored Everett from third to give New Hanover the early cushion.
“A first-inning run with Tyree on the mound really settles everybody down,” said Foy. “The run had that effect on our team.”
A two-out single and stolen base by Chandler Seagle in the top of the third put the Bears only base runner on second, but Johnson recorded a strike out to end the inning and also fanned the side in the fifth to preserve the shutout.
Coleman went 1-for-2 with a run batted in, while Burke Estes and Adam Pecraro tacked on the other two hits in the Wildcats’ lineup.
“We’re going to play somebody on Friday and probably going to have to score more than one run,” said Foy. “So tomorrow, we’re going to hit. We’re going to wear some shorts, some sleeveless shirts and hit until our hands our hurting.”
New Hanover (17-6) returns to the diamond Friday at Brooks Field as the Wildcats take on the winner of No. 2 Pine Forest and No. 3 South Central in round two of the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs.
Box score R H E
New Bern 000 000 0 0 2 2
New Hanover 100 000 X 1 3 0
LOB_ NHHS 3; New Bern 5; RBI_ Ward Coleman
New Hanover IP H R ER BB SO
Tyree Johnson 7 2 0 0 4 13
New Bern IP H R ER BB SO
Colin Schmid 6 2 1 0 2 6
