Wayne takes Area Opener

Walking a team's leading home run hitter intentionally late in the game might not be a bad idea. But it can be hazardous when it brings up the team's leader in runs batted in.

John Wooten drove in the go-ahead run in the last of the eighth and started a momentum-killing double play in the ninth as Wayne County Post 11 (22-4) rallied past Durham Post 7 (18-5) 3-2 at Mount Olive College Wednesday night in the opener of their best-of-three Area I title series.

The series resumes Friday night at the Durham Atheletic Park. If necessary, a third game will be played at MOC on Saturday. In other playoff action, Cherryville defeated Caldwell County 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five while Rowan County defeated Randolph County7-3 to still trail that series 3-2.

The score was tied at two in the eighth when leadoff batter Jackson Massey walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Post 7 rightfielder Nick Mangil made a diving catch of Walker Gourley's liner to bring up Garrett Davis, who leads Post 11 with five homers. He was given an intentional pass. Wooten, who entered the game with 27 RBI, took a breaking pitch, smoked a second one foul down the left field line, then drove another to left to bring home Massey.

But the ninth was anything but easy. T.J. Hinson hit leadoff batter Cameron Falcon, then gave up a groundball single to left to Sean Madden after Madden had attempted to advance Falcon with a bunt.

Durham chose not to bunt again, and Patrick Kerwin hit a one-hopper to Wooten at third. Wooten got to the bag and fired to first for the double play. Hinson got ahead 0-2 on Levi Diala with breaking pitches, then got him looking at a fastball to end it.

The game provided a stark contrast in pitching styles: Wayne's Davis and his fastball versus Durham's Barrett Sover and his changeup. According to Wayne coach Brad Reaves, the opposition got the better of it when it came to dealing with what the other hurler was throwing.

"We didn't make adjustments,"said Reaves. "I told them he was not going to knock the bat out of their hands. He ate us up with the changeup."

Durham got to Davis for two runs in the fifth, the first ones the UNC-bound righthander had allowed in more than 26 innings.

Leadoff batter Patrick Kerwin doubled to right centerfield and continued to third on an error. One out later, Lucas Martin singled up the middle. He went to third on a groundball single to right by Jacob Ezzell. Nick Mangil hit the first pitch through the right side for the lead, but Massey gunned down Ezzell at third.

Davis went six innings, allowing six hits and striking out 13.

"They did a good job on Garrett," said Reaves. "They took the ball to right field."

Wayne scored first in the fourth. Walker Gourley walked, stole second and came home on a one-out single to right by Wooten.

Post 11 tied it in the seventh. Nolan Lancaster reached on an infield single and came around when Conner Narron doubled over the head of the right fielder.

Wayne finished with six hits. "We're going to have to hit it better than this to win the series," said Reaves. "That's the best team we've seen this year."

Durham..AB..R..H..BI.........Wayne..AB..R..h..BI
Marin cf..4..1..1..1................Massey cf..2..1..1..0
Ezzell 2b..3..0..1..1...............Gourley ss..3..1..1..1
Mangil rf..3..0..1..0..............Davis p-cf..2..0..0..0
Robinson dh..3..0..0..0........Wooten 3b..4..0..2..2
Moorman c..4..0..2..0..........Rose 1b..4..0..0..0
Falcon 3b..2..0..0..0.............Lancaster cf-lf..4..1..1..0
Madden 1b..4..0..1..0...........Wright c..3..0..0..0
Kerwin ss..4..1..1..0..............Ham c..0..0..0..0
Diala lf..4..0..0..0...................Narron 2b..3..0..1..1
................._______..............Edgerton lf..2..0..0..0
.................31..2..7..2...............Sasser p..0..0..0..0
.................................................Pilkington ph..1..0..0..0
.................................................Hinson p..0..0..0..0
...............................................................________
.................................................................28..3..6..3

Durham..000...020...000 - 2..7..0
Wayne....000...100...11X - 3..6..2

E-Wooten, Lancaster. DP-Durham 2, Wayne 1. LOB-Durham, 7,
Wayne 7.
2B-Kerwin, Narron. SB-Diala, Gourley, Massey. S-Falcon, Mangil.

Durham..IP..H..R..ER..BB..SO
Stover.....7..5..2..2..3..6
Robinson(L) 1..1..1..1..2..0
Wayne
Davis......6..6..2..2..1..13
Sasser.....1..0..0..0..0..1
Hinson(W)..2..1..0..0..1..1
WP-Robinson.HBP-Falcon (by Hinson).