Wayne Loses in Last Inning

Wayne County didn't have anything on the line last night at South Central High School against Pitt County Post 160, but that doesn't mean the outcome will be less difficult to take.

After staging an improbable comeback on the strength of three home runs, Post 11 saw it all go for naught as Pitt rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth for a gut-wrenching 10-9 win in an Area I East South Division struggle.

Wayne (6-3, 13-3) will travel to New Bern tonight with the division title at stake while Pitt will face Snow Hill in a game to determine which team gets the final berth in the playoffs. If Post 160 wins, it will tie Pitt Post 39 for third but will win the tiebreaker due to sweeping the regular season series.

Post 11 trailed 7-2 after four innings but fought back to take the lead 9-7 going into the last of the ninth. T.J. Hinson had relieved starter Brandon Price and seemed in control after retiring the last eight batters he faced. Garrett Davis was waiting in the wings but didn't seem to be needed.

And then it all went downhill fast.

Hinson hit leadoff batter Billy Walling on the first pitch, and a lack of communication between the outfielders allowed Gavin Mizelle's fly ball to right center to fall in for a double. Just like that, Pitt was in business.

A wild pitch scored Walling and brought the tying run 90 feet from home plate. This was while Davis was in the bullpen trying to ready to save what looked to be a safe lead.

Hinson got Brian Avery to hit a grounder, and Wayne conceded the run for an out. But the throw to first was wild, and the visitors were faced with the winning run at second. A single to left by Tim Conrad finished Hinson, put runners on the corners and left Davis with the task of getting out of a near impossible situation.

The lanky righthander nearly pulled it off. He fanned Josh Worthington on a 3-2 breaking pitch, then intentionally walked Kramer Sneed to load the bases. Another curve sent Spencer Fagan back to the dugout on a 1-2 pitch.

Davis then went ahead of Logan Hessert 0-1 before a breaking ball in the dirt went to the screen, sending Avery home and Wayne out of town with an unlikely defeat.

Price entered the game sporting a 2-0 record and a 1.23 earned run average, but it was clear early that he was not at the top of his game. He left in the third after allowing 10 hits and with Pitt leading 7-2. Worthington put the finishing touch on Price's night by hitting a first-pitch fastball over the left field fence for a three-run homer. Price gave up 10 hits and didn't strike out anyone. Three of the runs were unearned.

Wayne slowly but surely began solving Pitt starter Fagan's assortment of pitches. Walker Gourley, who had four hits, singled to start the fifth and advanced on a grounder. After a walk, two runs scored during a force play and a poor relay throw to first.

Wayne got within one an inning later on a two-out single by Jackson Massey and Gourley's homer to left centerfield.

The lead switched hands in the eighth. First, Zack Wright belted a fastball over the left field fence to tie it. Massey singled, stole second and later scored on a two-out error.

Will Edgerton gave Wayne some breathing room in the ninth with a home run to left, and that seemed to be more than enough the way Hinson was throwing. But then came the improbable ending.

Pitt had 15 hits to 14 for Wayne. Hessert had a two-run single in the second.


Wayne AB..R..H..BI Pitt 160 AB..R..H..BI
Massey rf..5..2..2..0...........Sneed cf..5..2..1..0
Gourley ss..6..4..4..2..........Fagan p-lf..4..1..1..1
Davis..dh-p..4..1..2..0.........Hessert 5..0..3..2
Rose 1b..5..0..2..2...............Sharpe 3b-p..5..0..2..1
Pilkington 3b..4..0..0..0.....Rasberry p..0..0..0..0
Edgerton lf..4..1..1..2..........Walling lf-3b..3.1..2..0
Lancaster cf..5..0..1..0........Mizelle ss..5..1..1..0
Wright c..4..1..2..1...............Avery 1b..5..2..1..1
Gurley 2b..2..0..0..0...........Conrad rf..5..2..3..0
Narron 2b..3..0..0..0..........Worthington c..5..1..1..3
..................._________..........................________
.....................42..9..14..7............................42..10..15..8

Wayne 101...022...021 - 9..14..3
Pitt 160 133...000...003 - 10..15..4

E-Sharpe, Gurley, Gourley 2, Hessert, Walling 2. DP-Pitt 2.
LOB-Wayne 11, Pitt 11.
2B-Gourley, Rose, Wright, Hessert, Mizelle. HR-Worthington, Gourley,. Wright,
Edgerton. SB-Massey, Rose, Davis. S-Fagan.

Wayne....IP..H..R..ER..BB..SO
Price......2 1/3..10..7..4..1..0
Hinson...(L)5 1/3..5..3..2..0..6
Davis........2/3..0..0..0..1..2
Pitt
Fagan........6..11..6..5..1..1
Sharpe......2 2/3..3..3..2..3..1
Rasberry (W)..1/3..0..0..0..0..1
WP-Sharpe, Hinson, Davis. HBP-Walling (by Hinson), Walling (by Hinson),
Wright (by Sharpe).