After jumping out with 10 runs in the top of the first inning at Seventy-First during a 20-0 win in Fayetteville on Mar. 24, it took the Scotland High School baseball team a bit longer to take control of the second meeting between the teams, played at Laurinburg's McCoy Field on Tuesday.

The game was still not close for very long, as the Scots got a two-run homer from No. 9 hitter Francis Lloyd in the second inning, then scored three runs in the third and seven in the fourth en route to a 12-2 win over the Falcons in 4 1/2 innings.

Scotland is now on a season-best five-game win streak, improving to 13-5 overall and 9-2 in the Mid-Southeastern 4-A Conference with the win. The Scots remain tied for the M-SEC lead with Hoke; the Bucks won 4-1 against Pinecrest on Tuesday, with junior lefty Ronald Womack striking out eight and holding the Patriots to three hits and two walks. Seventy-First slides to 2-14 overall and 1-11 in league play.

Damian Burr, Scotland's No. 3 starter, went 4 2/3 innings, striking out six and scattering seven hits to get the win. Burr walked just one batter and one of the two runs he allowed was earned. Senior left-hander Phillip Williams came on to record the final out in the top of the fifth, striking out Paul Beckman in a non-save situation to end the game.

Lloyd lined a 2-2 pitch out to left field to put Scotland on the board in the bottom of the second. Paul Yarborough had reached on an infield single with two outs and would score on the home run.

Cody Marcure and Williams had back-to-back singles to begin the bottom of the third inning for SHS. Ryan Walker moved the runners with a well-placed sac bunt to the first baseman. Marcure would score on a wild pitch, Curt Britt drew a walk and Travis Walters hit a stand-up triple to center field to score both runners and put Scotland up 5-0.

Scotland got its seven runs on three hits, four walks and three Seventy-First errors in the bottom of the fourth. Kevin Norton batted twice, walking once and driving in a run with an infield single.

Norton stole second and third base after walking in his first plate appearance. A pickoff attempt hit Norton in the head at second base, knocking his helmet off. The ball rolled down toward the third baseman, and Norton, with helmet in hand, took off and slid head-first into third for the steal; it was a play Pete Rose would have been proud of.

Norton would score on a single by Walker. Walters also had an RBI single, and a bases-loaded walk by Curt Britt brought in a run.

"We won, but it took us a while to get going tonight against Seventy-First," said SHS head coach Tommy Britt. "Real proud of the guys; we ended up beating them in five, and saved some pitching.

"I'm proud of our guys. It was a good effort on their part. These are all big games — Seventy-First, Richmond, Hoke, Jack Britt — they're all big."

Walters finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs, and Lloyd was 1-for-3 with two runs driven in. Walker was 1-for-2 with one RBI, and Norton was 1-for-3 with one RBI. Marcure, Williams and Yarborough were all 1-for-2 with two runs scored,

Scotland has a big game with Richmond on Friday at 7 p.m. The Scots beat the rival Raiders 3-2 in Rockingham on Apr. 7.

"It's going to be a brawl," said Coach Britt. "It will be a good game. We'll get up for them, and they'll get up for us.

"It's Richmond-Scotland, just a good ol' baseball game. Hopefully our guys, there won't be any hopefully to it, we'll be ready to play."