By ANDREW FAISON/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
andrew.faison@yahoo.com

COURTLAND—Tidewater Academy’s Hunter Haywood hit a 2-run homer in the top of the seventh inning to seal the Warriors’ 10-4 win over Southampton Academy during the teams’ Virginia Commonwealth Conference opener on Wednesday.

“We didnt have a bad game” said Southampton Academy Tim Nixon. “We were just not as fortunate to get as good of hits as Tidewater got today.”

The host Raiders kept the game close through the first two innings, but in the top of the third, it was all Tidewater.

Warrior Ferley Yerby began the 4-run sequence by hitting a ball deep into right field, putting runners at first and third. James Price hit a ball to the deep centerfield fence, allowing Josh Clarke to score and putting runners at second and third.

Yerby was ejected from the game after being caught in a pinch situation. He went for the plate, diving straight into the knees of Raiders Blake Drewery. This gave the Warriors their second out of the inning.

Warrior Wade Parham chopped a ball between the shortstop and third baseman, which led Price to score. Haywood hit a line drive over second base and into the outfield allowing Parham to score the fourth run of the inning.

In the bottom of the third, the Raiders had a 2-run rally after Clarke walked Wesley Barnes, which in turn loaded the bases. Clarke walked Drewry, allowing for the first of the 2 runs, and Garrett Smith chopped a ball into the shallow outfield allowing the second run of the inning.

SA travels to Surry High School on Friday, March 18, while Tidewater will travel to Steward School; game times are at 4:30 p.m.