By Eric Lusk
Sports Editor
elusk@elkintribune.com

BOONVILLE — The stiff, chilly wind blowing in from left field made conditions pretty uncomfortable for fans attending the Elkin-Starmount make-up baseball game Monday afternoon.

But Elkin pitcher Ethan Creed believes the swirling gusts may have helped him.

“The wind just blew me off the mound several times, but the way it was blowing, it helped me throw the ball a little faster and gave more movement on my pitches,” Creed said minutes after the Buckin’ Elks held off the Rams 5-4.

Creed pitched six strong innings, holding Starmount to just four hits during that stretch while Elkin built a 5-0 lead. The Rams’ bats came alive in the seventh, however, chasing Creed after a two-run triple from Jake Barr and a two-run homer by Dillon Dobson.

But junior Ben Kramm was able to close things out for the Elks in a key early season conference game for both teams.

Most of the game was a pitcher’s duel from both sides. Elkin got all of its runs in the top of the third inning after Starmount starter Rusty Wood hit Jimmy Wagoner and Ben Kramm to lead off the frame.

Justin Singh smoked a grounder up the third base line to drive Wagoner home. After Creed singled and Dakota Longworth walked to load the bases, Luke Martin drilled a shot to deep centerfield. Martin cleared the base paths on his way to a triple. The play gave Elkin a 5-0 lead.

Starmount coach Mike McCann said better relay execution by his defense might have kept at least one run from scoring on the play.

“We didn’t have any fielding errors per se but in my book that was an error on us,” McCann said.

Starmount turned to pitcher Tanner Mathis after Martin’s triple, and the 6-foot-1 freshman struck out the first two batters he saw and limited Elkin to two singles the rest of the way.

Creed looked ready to post a complete game shutout after striking out the first batter of the seventh inning. But he walked Blake Hunter, then gave up a single to Nick Timmer. A triple from Jake Barr scored both runners, then a first-pitch home run from Dillon Dobson put two more on the board, trimming Elkin’s lead to 5-4.

Martin pulled Creed at this point. While Kramm walked the first man he saw, the Elks retired the next two batters to end the game.

“Ethan pitched a real good game for them. He was always around the plate and kept us off balance,” McCann said. “We just didn’t make any good adjustments early. And if our pitcher struggles a little bit, then it’s our job to battle up there at the plate and put it in play.”

• • •

Starmount got its bat going late again Tuesday night, but still came up just short in a 7-6 conference loss to Wilkes Central.

The Rams plated five runs in the fifth inning and scored once in the bottom of the seventh.

Wilkes Central, which scored six runs in the early going, got what would be the winning score across in the top of the seventh. Dillon Dobson, who came into the game in the seventh, absorbed the loss for the Rams. Alex Barr homered for Starmount, driving in three runs. Jake Barr had two hits in the game.

Elkin 5, Starmount 4

Monday • at Boonville

Elkin 005 000 0 — 5 5 0

Starmount 000 000 4 — 4 6 1

WP: Ethan Creed; LP: Rusty Wood

HR: Dillon Dobson (S). 3B: Luke Martin (E), Jake Barr (S).