Backed by 17 hits, Pinecrest's Andrew MacDonald pitched his second five-inning no-hitter of the season in Thursday's 15-1 victory at Chapel Hill.

MacDonald improved to 6-0 on the season and helped his cause by going 3-for-5 at the plate. The Patriots improved to 13-3 while the Tigers fell to 7-4 in the non-conference clash.

The Patriots were coming off an 11-0 loss to Eastern Wayne on Monday in the Hot Stove Classic in Greenville. They recorded only one base hit in that thrashing.

The first five Patriot batters reached base and scored on Thursday at Chapel Hill. McDonald started things off by beating out a bunt to the right of the pitcher. Dillon Maples also reached when the throw to first on his sacrifice bunt down the third base line was high.

Taylor MacDonald doubled home the first run, just missing a home run. Two batters later, James Baldwin fouled off three straight pitches before bringing home two more with a double to deep left-center. Jacob Gibson squeezed home the fourth run of the inning.

A walk, a stolen base, a passed ball and a wild pitch led to an unearned run for the Tigers in the second. The Patriots got that one back in their next at bat on a single by Trent Fredericks, a double by Joey Grady and a single by Gibson.

The Patriots whacked out six hits and took advantage of four Tiger errors to blow the game wide open in a seven-run fourth. The big hits were a home run by Taylor MacDonald to right-center and one by Patrick Moore the opposite way, making it 12-1.

The hit parade continued in the fifth with Fredericks, Joe Herbert and Gibson hitting safely, as the Pats scored their final three tallies. Andrew MacDonald retired the Tigers in order in the bottom half, ending the contest under the 10-run mercy rule.

Gibson finished the night with three hits and four RBIs. The two-hit club included Taylor MacDonald, Fredericks, Baldwin and Moore. Andrew MacDonald struck out five and walked three. The five-inning no-hitter was the team's fourth of the season.

Pinecrest returns to conference play on Tuesday against conference co-leader Scotland County in Laurinburg. Hoke County is also tied for the top spot in the league standings.