Eagles Start District 1-0, Beat Wills Point

Sports Editor

The Canton Eagles got off to a 1-0 start in District 14-3A by defeating Wills Point, 6-2 on Friday.

Nick Garrison got the win by pitching 6-2/3 innings, and holding the Tigers to two runs despite eight hits and four walks.

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the first when Tanner Smith scored on a sharply hit ball to short by Jonathan Savis. The team added runs in the second and fourth to build a 3-0 lead.

Wills Point cut the lead to 3-1 in the fifth, but the Eagles scored three in the bottom of the fifth for a 6-1 lead.

Wills Point added a run in the sixth, and Jonathan Huddle came in to get the final out of the game.

Leading hitters for the Eagles were B.J. Arthur (2-for-3, RBI) and Smith (1-for-1, 2HBP, 1 walk, two runs scored).

"We were very sharp defensively," said head coach Jeff Priest. "We turned two double plays in the middle that got us out of some jams. The guys are playing extremely good defense right now, with good pitching as well.

"We didn’t hit the ball as well as we should, but we’re executing our bunting and situational hitting very well."

Prior to the game with Wills Point, the Eagles defeated Mabank 10-0, and Athens 5-4.

Hosting the Athens Hornets, Canton built a 4-0 lead in the first four innings, but Athens tied the scored in the fifth. Colten Brewer’s sacrifice fly in the sixth drove in the winning run for Canton.

Trent Termin got a no-decision after pitching four innings and giving up two runs. Savis led the hitting, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

The 9-3 Eagles were in Eustace on Tuesday, and host Mineola on Friday.