CLAYTON - The scratching for runs started in the first inning when Clayton coach Stacey Houser elected to have his No. 3 batter attempt to sacrifice bunt. The plan didn't work; West Johnston pitcher Matthew Dupree struck out the next two batters.

The scrambling for runs continued for the next nine innings and finally ended when the Wildcats grabbed a 2-1 lead on Jamie Howington's RBI groundout in the top of the ninth inning.

West reliever Doug Furlong worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth against the Comet batters and the Wildcats escaped with their fourth straight Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference baseball victory.

"You can usually tell early how to flow of the game is going to go," said West Johnston coach Mike Jacobs. "When their guy [Clayton starting pitcher Will Henschel] struck out our first three batters of the game, that told me that we were going to have to try to scratch out runs."

The Wildcats got the first scratch in in the top of the sixth. Kris Richards drew a one-out walk and moved to third on Dupree's double to center. Todd Spivey followed with a line shot against Clayton's drawn in infield. The ball ricocheted off of the glove of Comet shortstop Adam Daniels and hit courtesy runner Deonte Anderson (running for Dupree) as Richards raced home for the game's first run.

Clayton got out of the inning with a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play but West had the game's first run.

The Comets forced extra innings in the bottom of the seventh when Bryan Forbes and Adam Daniels earned back-to-back one-out walks. A slow dribbler in the infield retired Daniels at second but left runners on the corners for lead off man Jeffrey Joyner.

Joyner then dribbled a slow bouncer in the infield grass that Richards (the West shortstop) fielded cleanly and reeled off a great throw but it wasn't in time to get Joyner at first and Forbes came home with the game tying run.

Jacobs pulled Dupree at that point, bringing in reliever Doug Furlong.

"It was just a classic pitchers duel on both sides," Jacobs said. "Their guy pitched a heck of a game, Dupree pitched a great game. I probably left him in there a little long but Doug was able to come in and give us a chance to win."

Jacobs struck out seven and held the Comets to three hits. A wild pitch moved Joyner and Evan Harbinson to third and second base, respectively, putting the game-winning run 90 feet away but Furlong struck out the next batter, ending Clayton's last scoring chance of the night.

"It's very disappointing to lose a game like this," said Clayton coach Stacey Houser. "We had some chances but we didn't do things consistently enough with the bats. There were times when we didn't get bunts down or execute in other ways."

The loss was Clayton's third straight in GNRC play by one or two runs. The Comets (3-9 overall) stand 1-3 after one-one losses to West and Holly Springs and a two-run setback against Garner.

In all three of those games, the Comets left the potential game-winning run stranded at third base in the seventh inning.

"What's frustrating is were sitting here at 3-9 and we're three hits at the right time away from being 4-0 in the league instead of 1-3," Houser said. "We've had opportunities but we can't get over the top with our bats."

The two teams combined for just three runs and seven hits in the nine innings played. Two of the hits were infield hits.

"The pitchers made good pitches and controlled the game," Jacobs said. "Defensively, guys made plays. It wasn't a perfect game by far but both sides made the plays to keep the big innings from happening."

West Johnston took advantage of a lead off walk by Spivey in the top of the ninth to win it. Spivey walked, moved to second on a passed ball before Robbie Logan's sacrifice bunt put him at third base with one out.

Howington then did what he needed to do, grounding out to the right side of the infield, allowing Spivey to come home with the game's third run putting West up 2-1.

Henschel took a no decision after seven innings of work for Clayton. He struck out 11 and allowed four hits.

Furlong got the win, while Comet reliever David Carpenter took the loss.