No. 1 Myers Park rolls in high school baseball opener, shuts out East Meck, 15-0
Myers Park, No. 1 in The Observer’s preseason Sweet 16, has won 45 games over the past two seasons, when the Mustangs reached the fourth round of the NCHSAA playoffs each time.
However, coach Erik Foor lost 10 seniors from last year’s squad, and through 2 1/2 innings against East Mecklenburg in both teams’ season opener on Monday, the 2024 version of the Mustangs didn’t appear to be packing the same punch.
That was despite junior pitcher Davis Johnson striking out three and allowing just one hit.
“I knew I had to go out there and throw strikes, and the defense would do the rest, “ Johnson said.
In the bottom of the third inning, Johnson ripped a single into left field, advanced to second on an error and ignited the Mustangs’ first rally of the year, capped off by junior Sam Bundon’s bases-clearing double.
Ultimately, Myers Park led 6-0 after three innings and won 15-0 after 4 1/2 innings. High school games are seven innings of regulation play, but are stopped early when one team is up by 10 or more runs going into the fifth inning.
Johnson got the win, allowing two hits, striking out four while throwing just 43 pitches through four innings.
Myers Park had 12 hits, led by William Washburn (3-3, 3 RBIs); Bundon (2B, 3 RBIs); Queens University commit Jay Polite (3-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs); and Virginia Military Institute commit Max Perry (2 runs, 2 RBIs).
“I’m excited for the first game,“ Foor said. “We have a lot of inexperience we’re running out there with this year’s group, but we’re just going to roll it out there and play.”
