Final Statistics
American Legion baseball is very different in one respect from when I started doing this. From what I can recall, Wayne County Post 11 lost one player of note to either a wooden bat league or a travel team from 1983 to just a few years ago. Maybe I've missed someone, but the larger point remains.
That's all changed. No longer can many winning programs confidently predict what personnel they will have for next season. The proliferation of travel and showcase teams and events has been an allure that some players cannot resist. Ask the team that is hosting the American Legion state tournament.
It's for that reason that I am wary of predicting the level of talent Wayne County will field in 2010. (That's presuming the program does not fold.) Fourteen players are eligible to return, but we're more likely to see a Michael Jackson or Elvis sighting than have the pleasure of watching John Wooten perform his magic act at third again.
Wayne's 11-9 record was in line with the number of runs it scored and allowed. This was a decent team but nothing like the ones that the program has fielded over most of the past 20 years.
Of the position players, only Wooten, Tyler Edwards and Cambric Moye had extensive experience at the senior American Legion level. That came about due to a confluence of events that went against the program's hopes for 2009.
First, Walker Gourley took up an offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates. (He was too stingy to lend me any money.) Zach Wright, who was expected to join the team at the conclusion of ECU's postseason, was sent to the Northeast to play in another league. Jay Rose, who would have given the team a huge presence on the mound, had surgery and was lost for the season.
Then there were others who either had problems with the program or whose parents listened to the siren song of travel ball.
The youthful team then had to do without the Eastern Wayne players for much of the way, resulting in the use of several freshman.
Even with the personnel losses the team suffered, some of the newcomers came through. Nick McGee, Scott Holloman and Cody Richards all contributed offensively. They're all eligible to return.
Wayne's pitching was its weak spot. We were aware of this possibility going into the season. The team ERA was the highest of the past 20 years while the strikeout rate per nine innings was the lowest. (A telling statistic is that the three Wayne County teams with the most wins had the most strikeouts per nine innings.) Post 11 pitchers struck out a mere 12 batters more than they walked. But if all of the pitchers excepting Wooten return, Wayne will lose only 57 innings.
Wayne needed its offense to remain on track if it was to have a long run in the playoffs. That is precisely what didn't happen. The team batted .333 in the final nine regular season games after the Eastern Wayne players arrived, but that mark dipped to .243 in the playoffs. Edenton batted .364 over five games.
The teams scored the same number of runs, so how could that be the case? Wayne's biggest strength throughout the season was it defense, the ability not to give the opposition lots of extra chances to score. It proved to be the case in the playoff series. Edenton made 20 errors to Wayne's seven.
We'll have a new coach in 2009. Ditto with the athletic officer position. But if the talent projected to return does so, the pieces are in place for this great program to return to form and make an appearance in the state tournament in Area III.
See you in May!!!!!!!!!!!!
e diel, 5 korrik 2009
Edenton Ousts Wayne from Playoffs
Season totals later today. I will be adding more information, including quotes, this evening. Also, I'll be adding another article about the season as a whole. If you don't come back for that, thanks for reading and, as far as I know, I'll be back for 2010.
Box
There would not be a storybook ending in this game.
One night after keeping its postseason alive with a thrilling extra-inning win on the road, Wayne County Post 11 saw its season come to an end Saturday night with a 7-4 loss to Edenton Post 40 at Mount Olive College.
Post 11 finishes with a 11-9 record. It also marks the end of the seven-year tenure of coach Brad Reaves. He will be moving to Nebraska.
Eric DuBose limited Edenton to one run in the series opener despite giving up 12 hits in a complete-game effort. This time, however, the magic was not there. The southpaw couldn't make it out of the third and was tagged for nine hits, including a lead off home run for the second straight game by Nikaloi Simonsen.
Offensively, just about everthing went right for the visitors, as they banged out 16 hits and got the benefit of three run-scoring bloop singles just behind the infielders. On the flip side, Edenton starter Campbell Brown went the distance ona six-hitter and threw only 111 pitches.
The back breaker for Wayne came in the third. With runners on first and second and two out, Chad Whitehead's single fell into shallow center field for a run and put runners on the corner. Jesse DeSanto followed with a two-run blooper to right for a 6-0 lead.
Edenton's final run came in the fifth with the aid of an error.
Wayne finally got on the board in the sixth. Tyler Edwards reached on an infield hit, and John Wooten doubled to left centerfield. Kevin Wise singled to center to score both runners. He later scored on a grounder by Nick McGee.
Wooten reached on an error in the eighth and scored on a wild pitch.
Edenton finished with a 23-10 advantage in baserunners.
Box
There would not be a storybook ending in this game.
One night after keeping its postseason alive with a thrilling extra-inning win on the road, Wayne County Post 11 saw its season come to an end Saturday night with a 7-4 loss to Edenton Post 40 at Mount Olive College.
Post 11 finishes with a 11-9 record. It also marks the end of the seven-year tenure of coach Brad Reaves. He will be moving to Nebraska.
Eric DuBose limited Edenton to one run in the series opener despite giving up 12 hits in a complete-game effort. This time, however, the magic was not there. The southpaw couldn't make it out of the third and was tagged for nine hits, including a lead off home run for the second straight game by Nikaloi Simonsen.
Offensively, just about everthing went right for the visitors, as they banged out 16 hits and got the benefit of three run-scoring bloop singles just behind the infielders. On the flip side, Edenton starter Campbell Brown went the distance ona six-hitter and threw only 111 pitches.
The back breaker for Wayne came in the third. With runners on first and second and two out, Chad Whitehead's single fell into shallow center field for a run and put runners on the corner. Jesse DeSanto followed with a two-run blooper to right for a 6-0 lead.
Edenton's final run came in the fifth with the aid of an error.
Wayne finally got on the board in the sixth. Tyler Edwards reached on an infield hit, and John Wooten doubled to left centerfield. Kevin Wise singled to center to score both runners. He later scored on a grounder by Nick McGee.
Wooten reached on an error in the eighth and scored on a wild pitch.
Edenton finished with a 23-10 advantage in baserunners.
e premte, 3 korrik 2009
Allen, Frederick Keep Post 11 Alive
Season Totals
Box
A nice road trip today. Gastonia, then Mount Olive on two hours sleep. See what you're made of today by lighting and holding a firecracker. That is, unless you're Eric DuBose.
Down to his, and his team's, last strike of the American Legion season, Josh Frederick singled through the middle of the infield to score pinch-runner Matt Neal from second to tie the game in the ninth, and Wayne County took advantage of an Edenton implosion in the eleventh to win 6-3 and send their best-of-five opening round series to a fifth and deciding game at Mount Olive College Saturday night.
Nick McGee began the ninth with a walk, and Colton Fulghum bunted him to second. A fly out left Post 11 (11-8) with one out left to keep its postseason alive, and Frederick delivered on a 3-2 fastball to make it 3-3.
Taylor Allen was giving Post 11 the clutch performance it needed on the mound, and he came through in the ninth by retiring the side in order. After escaping the tenth despite two walks, he saw his teammates get him three runs. Wayne coach Brad Reaves then went to Neal. He retired two of the first three batters, and Wayne seemed on its way to tying the series. In this game, however, nothing came easy for Post 11. Neal gave up a single and hit a batter to load the bases. That brought up leadoff hitter Nikolai Simonsen. He had homered off Allen to start the game, and Neal fell behind 2-0 before running the count full.
Simonsen fouled off a fastball but watched a breaking pitch catch the inside corner of the plate to end the game. The Post 11 players then celebrated their improbable triumph.
Allen and Post 40 hurler Jonathan Brantley, who went eight innings, allowed six hits apiece as the offenses struggled to manufacture runs. Wayne put something together in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Cambric Moye and Scott Holloman singled. One out later, with the runners moving, Nick McGee punched a 2-1 curve through the right side of the infield to tie it. Colton Fulghum drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly.
Edenton regained the lead in the sixth. A walk and two hits loaded the bases with one out. Allen retired the next batter on a foul out, then got ahead of Weston Dodson 0-2. Dodson sent a 1-2 fastball to right for two runs and the lead.
Neal started the eleventh by lofting a fly ball to right. Simonsen dropped it, and Neal advanced to third on two wild pitches. Fulghum walked, and Neal scored when a grounder by Cody Richards was thrown away at first. Frederick laid a bunt single down the third base line to load the bases.
Two more wild pitches resulted in a three-run lead, and Tyler Edwards walked. John Wooten flied out to right, and Whitehead caught Moye looking. Frederick was out attempting to score on a wild pitch.
All the offensive heroics would have gone for naught had Wayne not gotten what it did from Allen. "He pitched tonight," said Reaves. "That's what we hadn't done the past two nights. The only time he got into trouble was when he walked the lead off hitter."
When Simonsen hit the home run, Reaves was thinking "Here we go again. But he did a great job of keeping his composure. Then they got a hit right after that but he left him there. After they scored in the sixth he kept getting better and better. He was lights out in the seventh, eighth and ninth.
"In the tenth, when he got a strikeout after going 3-0, I knew he was out of gas then. I know he got that last out, but it was like everything he had was in that one pitch."
Box
A nice road trip today. Gastonia, then Mount Olive on two hours sleep. See what you're made of today by lighting and holding a firecracker. That is, unless you're Eric DuBose.
Down to his, and his team's, last strike of the American Legion season, Josh Frederick singled through the middle of the infield to score pinch-runner Matt Neal from second to tie the game in the ninth, and Wayne County took advantage of an Edenton implosion in the eleventh to win 6-3 and send their best-of-five opening round series to a fifth and deciding game at Mount Olive College Saturday night.
Nick McGee began the ninth with a walk, and Colton Fulghum bunted him to second. A fly out left Post 11 (11-8) with one out left to keep its postseason alive, and Frederick delivered on a 3-2 fastball to make it 3-3.
Taylor Allen was giving Post 11 the clutch performance it needed on the mound, and he came through in the ninth by retiring the side in order. After escaping the tenth despite two walks, he saw his teammates get him three runs. Wayne coach Brad Reaves then went to Neal. He retired two of the first three batters, and Wayne seemed on its way to tying the series. In this game, however, nothing came easy for Post 11. Neal gave up a single and hit a batter to load the bases. That brought up leadoff hitter Nikolai Simonsen. He had homered off Allen to start the game, and Neal fell behind 2-0 before running the count full.
Simonsen fouled off a fastball but watched a breaking pitch catch the inside corner of the plate to end the game. The Post 11 players then celebrated their improbable triumph.
Allen and Post 40 hurler Jonathan Brantley, who went eight innings, allowed six hits apiece as the offenses struggled to manufacture runs. Wayne put something together in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Cambric Moye and Scott Holloman singled. One out later, with the runners moving, Nick McGee punched a 2-1 curve through the right side of the infield to tie it. Colton Fulghum drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly.
Edenton regained the lead in the sixth. A walk and two hits loaded the bases with one out. Allen retired the next batter on a foul out, then got ahead of Weston Dodson 0-2. Dodson sent a 1-2 fastball to right for two runs and the lead.
Neal started the eleventh by lofting a fly ball to right. Simonsen dropped it, and Neal advanced to third on two wild pitches. Fulghum walked, and Neal scored when a grounder by Cody Richards was thrown away at first. Frederick laid a bunt single down the third base line to load the bases.
Two more wild pitches resulted in a three-run lead, and Tyler Edwards walked. John Wooten flied out to right, and Whitehead caught Moye looking. Frederick was out attempting to score on a wild pitch.
All the offensive heroics would have gone for naught had Wayne not gotten what it did from Allen. "He pitched tonight," said Reaves. "That's what we hadn't done the past two nights. The only time he got into trouble was when he walked the lead off hitter."
When Simonsen hit the home run, Reaves was thinking "Here we go again. But he did a great job of keeping his composure. Then they got a hit right after that but he left him there. After they scored in the sixth he kept getting better and better. He was lights out in the seventh, eighth and ninth.
"In the tenth, when he got a strikeout after going 3-0, I knew he was out of gas then. I know he got that last out, but it was like everything he had was in that one pitch."
e enjte, 2 korrik 2009
Edenton One Win From Ending Wayne's Season
Box
Season Totals
After winning the opening game of the American Legion playoffs by a double-digit margin, Wayne County Post 11 finds itself on the verge of being ousted and having the shortest season since 1968.
Edenton Post 40 hammered four pitchers for 17 hits and got a seven-inning complete game effort from Andrew Womble. The result was a 15-5 shellacking at Mount Olive College. It was the third time in the past four Edenton victories against Post 11 that the game was stopped due to the mercy rule. Edenton, which swept Wayne by double digit margins at the start of the 2006 playoffs, is 11-7 while Wayne is 10-8.
Taylor Allen will get the call on the mound when the teams meet at Hick Field in Edenton tonight in game four of the best-of-five series. His task: stop or, more realistically, slow down a Post 40 attack that has manhandled his fellow pitchers.
"You cannot pitch from behind, and we cannot defend a walk," Wayne coach Brad Reaves emphasized after the game. "We're getting behind and we're walking too many hitters. In this league, we're facing everybody's two, three and four hitters. It's not like in high school where you can take a batter off. You've got to get ahead early or you can't get them out."
Another area of concern this season has been the low strikeout totals. "We're not going ( to get a lot of strikeouts), so we've got to pitch to contact and hit spots. If we don't do that we're not going to win. If you put it on the white of the plate, they're going to hit it. That team can hit." Wayne pitchers are averaging five strikeouts per nine innings, the lowest in the past 20 years.
Wayne scored in the first and second innings to hold a 2-1 lead. Then came the explosion.
Edenton rocked Wayne starter Josh Frederick for eight hits and seven runs in the third
to take command of the game. Three of the hitters reached after falling behind in the count 1-2. Robert Jacot's two-run double over the head of the left fielder closed the curtain on Frederick's night. His line: 73 pitches, nine hits and two walks over 2 2/3 innings.
Post 11 went down in order in the third, and Edenton padded its lead with an additional three runs in the fourth on four hits and a walk.
Trailing 11-32 Wayne got a run back in each of the next two innings to keeps its comeback hopes alive. Colton Fulghum walked a later scored on an RBI single by Tyler Edwards. Cody Richards was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
After another 1-2-3 inning, Edenton rediscovered its offensive mojo in the sixth. Another four hits, including a two-run double down the third base line by Weston Dodson, gave the visitors an eleven-run cushion.
Cambric Moye homered to left to start the Wayne seventh, and Robert Faucette followed him with a double to deep center. Post 11 needed another run to keep the game going but couldn't get it as the next three batters went down.
Reaves is not pessimistic about his team's chances in its first "must-win" of the brief season, and he won't hesitate to pull the plug on a pitcher's outing. "We won't stay with them as long as we did tonight. That was probably my fault. All of a sudden I thought we were going to make a pitch and we didn't. Then the next pitch I thought we were going to make a pitch and we didn't, and it was too late."
Season Totals
After winning the opening game of the American Legion playoffs by a double-digit margin, Wayne County Post 11 finds itself on the verge of being ousted and having the shortest season since 1968.
Edenton Post 40 hammered four pitchers for 17 hits and got a seven-inning complete game effort from Andrew Womble. The result was a 15-5 shellacking at Mount Olive College. It was the third time in the past four Edenton victories against Post 11 that the game was stopped due to the mercy rule. Edenton, which swept Wayne by double digit margins at the start of the 2006 playoffs, is 11-7 while Wayne is 10-8.
Taylor Allen will get the call on the mound when the teams meet at Hick Field in Edenton tonight in game four of the best-of-five series. His task: stop or, more realistically, slow down a Post 40 attack that has manhandled his fellow pitchers.
"You cannot pitch from behind, and we cannot defend a walk," Wayne coach Brad Reaves emphasized after the game. "We're getting behind and we're walking too many hitters. In this league, we're facing everybody's two, three and four hitters. It's not like in high school where you can take a batter off. You've got to get ahead early or you can't get them out."
Another area of concern this season has been the low strikeout totals. "We're not going ( to get a lot of strikeouts), so we've got to pitch to contact and hit spots. If we don't do that we're not going to win. If you put it on the white of the plate, they're going to hit it. That team can hit." Wayne pitchers are averaging five strikeouts per nine innings, the lowest in the past 20 years.
Wayne scored in the first and second innings to hold a 2-1 lead. Then came the explosion.
Edenton rocked Wayne starter Josh Frederick for eight hits and seven runs in the third
to take command of the game. Three of the hitters reached after falling behind in the count 1-2. Robert Jacot's two-run double over the head of the left fielder closed the curtain on Frederick's night. His line: 73 pitches, nine hits and two walks over 2 2/3 innings.
Post 11 went down in order in the third, and Edenton padded its lead with an additional three runs in the fourth on four hits and a walk.
Trailing 11-32 Wayne got a run back in each of the next two innings to keeps its comeback hopes alive. Colton Fulghum walked a later scored on an RBI single by Tyler Edwards. Cody Richards was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
After another 1-2-3 inning, Edenton rediscovered its offensive mojo in the sixth. Another four hits, including a two-run double down the third base line by Weston Dodson, gave the visitors an eleven-run cushion.
Cambric Moye homered to left to start the Wayne seventh, and Robert Faucette followed him with a double to deep center. Post 11 needed another run to keep the game going but couldn't get it as the next three batters went down.
Reaves is not pessimistic about his team's chances in its first "must-win" of the brief season, and he won't hesitate to pull the plug on a pitcher's outing. "We won't stay with them as long as we did tonight. That was probably my fault. All of a sudden I thought we were going to make a pitch and we didn't. Then the next pitch I thought we were going to make a pitch and we didn't, and it was too late."
Edenton, Rain Overcome Post 11
Box
Season Totals
All the other series are 2-0
The American Legion playoff series between Wayne County Post 11 and Edenton Post 40 moved from one of the two biggest parks in the league to the smallest Wednesday night. That, according to Wayne coach Brad Reaves, seem to play a pivotal role in his team's 8-5 loss at Hicks Field in Edenton. The best-of-five series, tied a game apiece, resumes tonight at Mount Olive College.
Edenton struck for three runs in the first, built a five-run lead and held off a ninth-inning rally with the aid of a downpour. Wilson, Kinston and Rocky Mount all won to take control of their series.
"I watched the way they took batting practice; I watched the way they approached it," said Reaves. "Our boys, when they got off the bus, they saw that 300 sign (in left) and that 298 sign (in right) and their eyes lit up." The 350-foot center field wall also beckoned.
Reaves added that he predicted to his team that the great majority of his team's outs would be in the air, and he was not wrong. Only four of the 19 outs not coming from strikeouts were on the ground.
Edenton, on the other hand, hit five doubles, including two off the wall. Most of its outs did come off of ground balls.
Still, Wayne almost pulled off the comeback. Tyler Edwards singled with one out in the ninth and, with the visitors down to their last out, Cambric Moye doubled him home. Pinch-hitter Robert Faucette traded places with Moye with a two-bagger to center.
Faucette went to third on a hit to right by Scott Holloman. Meanwhile, the light rain transformed itself into a torrent, and the field began to puddle. Kevin Wise walked on a full count, and Colton Fulghum reached on a error to score Faucette.
The count went to three balls on Josh Frederick before Edenton coach Bob Jordan asked the umpires to consider delaying play. After a brief discussion, they did so. At that time, it was apparent that the field was unplayable.
And it would remain so. The Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plains League had the equipment locked up and do not allow the Legion team to use the tarp. The umpires eventually called the game.
Wayne starting pitcher Zack Mozingo got into trouble in the first and never found his rhythm, allowing nine hits and two walks over four innings.
"His location was not very good," said Reaves. "But he was due one. Zack's had a great year. He had a great year in high school and for us. But there were some plays we should have made. We drifted after some ball when we should have gone back and found the fence. When we jump and the ball hits the bottom of the fence, we've got to catch that kind."
Nikolai Simonsen drew a leadoff walk in the first, and Tyler Barrington drag bunted to the right side of the infield. J.J. Allen and Austin Beasley had RBI singles, and anothe run scored on a force play.
Post 11 bounced back with two in the second. Holloman drove a breaking pitch over the left field wall to start the inning. Singles by Fulghum, Matt Neal and Tyler Edwards made it 3-2.
Mozingo breeze through the second but gave up a walk and an RBI double in the third. Simonsen and Allen drove in runs in the fourth as Post 40 make it 6-2. Edenton scored two runs off reliever Jesse Randolph.
The teams had 12 hits apiece.
Season Totals
All the other series are 2-0
The American Legion playoff series between Wayne County Post 11 and Edenton Post 40 moved from one of the two biggest parks in the league to the smallest Wednesday night. That, according to Wayne coach Brad Reaves, seem to play a pivotal role in his team's 8-5 loss at Hicks Field in Edenton. The best-of-five series, tied a game apiece, resumes tonight at Mount Olive College.
Edenton struck for three runs in the first, built a five-run lead and held off a ninth-inning rally with the aid of a downpour. Wilson, Kinston and Rocky Mount all won to take control of their series.
"I watched the way they took batting practice; I watched the way they approached it," said Reaves. "Our boys, when they got off the bus, they saw that 300 sign (in left) and that 298 sign (in right) and their eyes lit up." The 350-foot center field wall also beckoned.
Reaves added that he predicted to his team that the great majority of his team's outs would be in the air, and he was not wrong. Only four of the 19 outs not coming from strikeouts were on the ground.
Edenton, on the other hand, hit five doubles, including two off the wall. Most of its outs did come off of ground balls.
Still, Wayne almost pulled off the comeback. Tyler Edwards singled with one out in the ninth and, with the visitors down to their last out, Cambric Moye doubled him home. Pinch-hitter Robert Faucette traded places with Moye with a two-bagger to center.
Faucette went to third on a hit to right by Scott Holloman. Meanwhile, the light rain transformed itself into a torrent, and the field began to puddle. Kevin Wise walked on a full count, and Colton Fulghum reached on a error to score Faucette.
The count went to three balls on Josh Frederick before Edenton coach Bob Jordan asked the umpires to consider delaying play. After a brief discussion, they did so. At that time, it was apparent that the field was unplayable.
And it would remain so. The Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plains League had the equipment locked up and do not allow the Legion team to use the tarp. The umpires eventually called the game.
Wayne starting pitcher Zack Mozingo got into trouble in the first and never found his rhythm, allowing nine hits and two walks over four innings.
"His location was not very good," said Reaves. "But he was due one. Zack's had a great year. He had a great year in high school and for us. But there were some plays we should have made. We drifted after some ball when we should have gone back and found the fence. When we jump and the ball hits the bottom of the fence, we've got to catch that kind."
Nikolai Simonsen drew a leadoff walk in the first, and Tyler Barrington drag bunted to the right side of the infield. J.J. Allen and Austin Beasley had RBI singles, and anothe run scored on a force play.
Post 11 bounced back with two in the second. Holloman drove a breaking pitch over the left field wall to start the inning. Singles by Fulghum, Matt Neal and Tyler Edwards made it 3-2.
Mozingo breeze through the second but gave up a walk and an RBI double in the third. Simonsen and Allen drove in runs in the fourth as Post 40 make it 6-2. Edenton scored two runs off reliever Jesse Randolph.
The teams had 12 hits apiece.
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