Wayne 10 Pitt 39 3

Note: For you night owls, I'll do the stats before I go to work.

Pitt County Post 39 and Wayne County Post 11 have won all but three of the past 16 Area I East titles, and only once during that time has the league championship series been without both programs. But the game at Mount Olive College Thursday night showcased two teams headed in opposite directions.

Wayne (3-1, 6-1)continued its climb up the South Division standings with a 10-3 win and sent Pitt home with a 2-4 mark. Four of the six teams in the division will make the postseason, so the Post 39 squad has its work cut out. The two teams will meet again on Sunday.

Wayne will travel to Wilson tonight. Post 11 coach Brad Reaves said he plans to give several of his pitchers opportunities to throw in the non-division contest.

Brandon Price, making his first start, had some trouble early but settled down to pitch six solid innings. He allowed three base runners after the second inning. "His curveball had some bit after the first inning," said Reaves. "It came in after the first."

The Wayne offense produced 11 hits. Walker Gourley led the way with three, while John Wooten had two hits and three RBI.

Price retired the first two batters of the game but ran into trouble with two walks and a run-scoring single by Andy Powers.

Wayne came back in home half to put two on the board. Will Edgerton singled, Gourley doubled and Jackson Massey drew the first of his four walks to load the bases. Consecutive ground outs resulted in the two runs.

Michael Spruill tied it in the second with a two-out hit.

In the Wayne third, Gourley singled to left and Massey walked. After a double steal, Wooten lined a fastball to center to score both runners.

Wayne scored two more in the sixth without getting a hit out of the infield. Nolan Lancaster and Thomas Pilkington walked to start the inning. Dave Overman laid down a bunt and beat the throw to first, but the second baseman couldn't catch it, leading to a run. Alex Casey's grounder led to the other score.

Tyler Ham and Overman had run-scoring hits in the eighth to make it 8-2.

The final two runs came in the ninth. Gourley beat out a grounder to short, and Massey again walked. A fly ball sent Gourley to third, where he scored when Ham's liner to right was dropped. Massey went to third and scored on a passed ball.


Pitt..................AB..R..H..BI.........Wayne.........AB..R..H..BI
Spruill..3b.......5...0...1...1............Edgerton..lf....5...1...1...0
Boyd..cf...........4...0...1...0............Gourley..ss....5...3...3...0
Gainer..2b.......2...1...0...0...........Massey..rf......1...2...0...0
Rollins..2b.......1...0...0...0...........Wooten..1b-p..5...1...2...3
Hudson..dh-lf.2...0...0...0...........Wright..c.........3...0...0...1
Powers..c........4...0...2...1............Ham..c.............2...1...1...1
Freuler..lf-rf...3..1...0...0............Lancaster..cf...4...1...0...0
Styons..1b.......3...1...1...0............Pilkington..3b..3...1...2...0
Gagnon..1b.....0...0...0...0............Gurley..2b......2...0...0...0
Hardee..rf-p...3...0...1...0............Overman..2b..2...0...2...0
Massey..ss......4...0...0...0...........Casey..dh.........2...0...0...0
........................_________.........Rose..dh..........2...0...0...1
..........................31...3...7...2............................____________
.............................................................................36...10...11...7

Pitt........110...000...001-3...7...4
Wayne..202...002...22X-10...11...0

E-CMassey 2, Gainer, Powell. DP-Wayne 1. LOB-Pitt 7,Wayne 8.
2B-Gourley, Boyd, Powers, Wooten, Overman.
SB-Gourley 2, JMassey 2, Lancaster. CS-Wooten, JMassey. S-Hardee.

Pitt...............IP..H..R..ER..BB..SO
Powell(L).....7...10...8...7..5...3
Hardee.........1...1...2...0...1...0
Wayne
Price(W).......6...5...2...2...3...4
Hinson..........2...1...0...0...0...0
Rose...........2/3..1...1...1...2...2
Wooten......1/3...0...0...0...0...0
WP-Powell, Rose.