Smithfield — Garner ran away from East Wake in the second round of the conference softball tournament, Saturday.

The Warriors fell short 12-1 to the Trojans in the game at Smithfield Community Park.

Garner took an early lead with base runners sneaking their way around the diamond and East Wake coming up just short of an out on multiple occasions. Garner funneled players around to second and third and then bat, or bunt, them in for the run.

East Wake managed to hit the ball, but the ball would stay in the infield more times than the hits off the Trojan bats, and the Warrior innings were cut short throughout the game.

Katie Watkins pitched all five innings for the Warriors.

Garner, who would go on to lose to solid West Johnston in the championship game, 5-4, posted two runs in the first and four runs in the second. East Wake fired back in the fourth inning, and managed to score a run on a home run from Mariah Souder, but couldn’t plate any more runs, as Garner put a lid on the inning and the Warrior team for the rest of the game.

But the East Wake team remained spirited throughout the contest, making light of less favorable conditions and playing hard until the end.

Little mouth-running took place between the two teams, but the umpire got his ear full.

The second base umpire called an out on the Warrior squad that appeared to be a questionable call, but the officials made up for the out in the next inning.

After a multi-run Garner homer in the fourth the umpire revoked a Trojan run on a technicality. The result was a brief moment of pandemonium and the ejection of a Garner coach.

But too much damage had already been done. East Wake was silent in the fifth, after Garner knocked in three more runs, and the game came to a close.

The Warriors had two hits in the game, and one error. The Trojans had 13 hits in the game and one error.

Regardless of officiating issues, when 12 runs make the scoreboard, teams have to hit the ball to compete.

“Garner has been a tough opponent all season,” coach Christina Stevenson said. “We just weren’t able to get our bats going, and it’s tough to play a game from behind.”

East Wake qualified for the state playoffs as a result of its regular season play. The team travels to Greenville tonight to take on J.H. Rose at 6:30.