Game Three Is Still On

The third game of the Area I championship series is scheduled to begin tonight at 8 at Smithfield-Selma High School.

Clayton Rolls Past Wayne To Force Game Three

Box is here. Rowan defeated Randolph 9-6 in Asheboro in game three of the Area III final. Season totals are here.

If you're going to have a postseason debacle, now is the time for it.

On a night in which it could barely get out of its own way, Wayne County Post 11 suffered a defeat of historic proportions at the hands of Clayton Post 71 Wednesday night at Southern Wayne High School.

Clayton (19-9) drew 14 walks and combined those with 16 hits to rout Wayne 20-2 in the second game of their best-of-three Area I title series. The rubber match takes place tonight at Smithfield-Selma High School at 7.

It was the worst home defeat in the 43-year history of the program in addition to being the most lopsided playoff loss ever. The only game Wayne lost by a greater margin was a 22-1 defeat in Wilmington in 1968.

The only non-negative aspect of the evening for Wayne (23-6) is that both teams are headed for the American Legion state tournament in Gastonia next week and are playing for positioning. The winner takes on the loser of the Area III match up between Rowan County and Randolph County while the loser gets the other team.

Despite the result, Wayne coach Brad Reaves wasn't ready to proclaim an end to a surprisingly good season.

"You have nights like this. Everybody has them,” he pointed out. “Maybe we got it out now.We couldn’t get an out and we couldn’t throw a strike.”

Speaking of strikes, a quintet of Post 11 pitchers threw 89 of them. The problem was there were 92 balls for an astounding total of 181 in seven innings. Wayne starter Adron Hollowell was averaging three walks per game entering the night but issued five of them in less than three innings. He also gave up six hits. Taylor Allen walked four and allowed four hits in just one inning of work.

“I don’t think it was nerves,” said Reaves of the pitchers' performances. “I don’t think it was because it was a big game or anything. I don’t think it was all Adron. I think we lost focus as a team. Adron is one of the few two-way players we’ve got. The nights we call on in him to pitch, we need him to be locked into that pitching mode. I think he realizes that.”

Clayton leadoff batter Drew Alford, who homered twice in the first game, picked up where he left off with a round-tripper to start the game. Hollowell got out of a jam in the second only to run into a firestorm in the third as Clayton batted around and put up 10 runs.

Justin Diener started the inning by sending a 3-1 fastball over the center field fence. Hollowell added to his woes by walking home two runs before giving way to Jesse Randolph.

But in his short stint on the mound, Randolph fared no better. Diener against got hold of a 3-1 fastball to clear the bases with his second homer of the inning. He finished with seven RBI.

Clayton was far from finished. Allen walked four straight batters in the fifth to bring home a run, then allowed four consecutive RBI singles. That made it 17-2. Jeff Citero would double home two runs in the three-run sixth.

Post 71 starter Colin Parker went five innings, allowing two runs, three hits and two walks. In the fourth, John Wooten hit his eleventh home run to give him 11 for the season.

Pictures of the State Tournament Site

Here are a few pictures of Sims Legion Park. Will the new Yankee Stadium look this good?

Wayne Holds On To Lead in Ninth To Take Area I Opener

Box is here. Almost forgot to post the season stats.

Other playoff news: Cherryville trailed Pineville 6-0 before coming back to win 19-8 to take the Area IV title. Cherryville (39-6) will play Wilmington (19-13) in the 4:30 game on Tuesday, and Hope Mills will face Gastonia in the nightcap. Pineville (30-9) stays home because Gastonia gets the other spot.
Rowan (31-12) defeated Randolph (33-9) 7-3 to even the Area III series at a game apiece.

The 50/50 pot at the Randolph/Rowan game tonight was a measly $434.

Wayne County took a 9-4 lead into the ninth inning against Clayton Post 71 in the opening game of the Area I title series at Smithfield-Selma High School Tuesday night. Post 11 coach Brad Reaves then turned to Jay Rose, his fourth pitcher of the game.

And why not? Since closing some of Wayne's games late in 2007 , Rose has been quietly effective. He entered the Clayton series having allowed three runs in 17 1/3 innings. But as Reaves said after the game, Rose "was due for one of these."

Clayton (18-10) pushed Rose to the limit and put the potential winning run on first before Wayne survived to win 9-7 and head back to Southern Wayne High School tonight in what will be its last home game of the season. A Post 11 win would clinch the best-of-three series and put the team in the second game of the state tournament in Gastonia on Tuesday.

Wayne (23-5) scored twice in the sixth to snap a tie game, then added runs in the eighth and ninth to take what appeared to be a comfortable lead into the last inning. Reliever Jesse Randolph threw three scoreless innings and John Wooten added one before Rose took over.

Then it got really interesting.

Rose issued Wayne's first walk to leadoff batter Evan Harbinson. Drew Alford hit the first pitch to left for a home run, his second of the evening. Rose struck out the next batter on a called breaking pitch, but Brian Mills singled to center. Blake Murray fell behind 1-2 but hung in there for a walk, and Clayton brought the tying run to the plate.

Kyle Cummings, who relieved starter Justin Diener in the sixth, hit a groundball single to center to load the bases. Colin Parker punched a 1-2 curveball to shallow right for a run, and the tying runs were in scoring position. Rose got ahead of Diener 0-2 and got a grounder to third, resulting in a force out at the plate. He ran the count on Jeff Citero to 2-2, then fanned him on a called curveball to end the game.

Clayton had a 3-2 edge in home runs as both teams took advantage of the small ball park and won the hit battle 13-11 but hurt itself with seven errors.

Wayne, which never trailed, took a two-run lead in the first. Tyler Edwards had a leadoff single and Wooten reached on a one-out error. Both advanced on a passed ball. Rose singled to right for a run, and Wooten scored when the right fielder airmailed the ball to the fence.

Post 11 starter Michael Douglas retired the first two batters in the first before a single and a two-out error gave Cummings a chance to drive in run with a hit to center. Clayton tied it in the second on a home run by Harbinson.

Wooten answered for Wayne in the third with his ninth home run of the season. An inning later, Nolan Lancaster walked with two outs, went to third on a hit by Adron Hollowell and scored when the catcher's pickoff throw hit him in the head and bounced into foul territory.

Douglas set down the first two batters in the fourth but gave up a double to Harbinson. Alford fell behind 1-2 but drilled a fastball just over the short left field fence to against tie it.

In the sixth, Rose singled up the middle on a bad hop. Zach Wright was hit by a pitch, and Thomas Pilkington moved the runners with a bunt. Rose scored on a wild pitch. Lancaster hit a bouncer on the first base side of the infield. The pitcher failed to cover the bag, and Lancaster was safe with a hit as Wright scored. Wayne seemed poised to take advantage of the lapse as Lancaster raced to third on Hollowell's hit to center. But he was caught off the base on Alex Casey's push bunt to first, and a fly ball ended the inning.

Wayne scored in the eighth with the aid of two errors. Wooten homered with one out in the ninth on a 1-2 pitch, and Rose was hit by a pitch. He came all the way home when the left fielder wasn't able to field Wright's sinking liner.

Area Playoff Updates

Pineville defeated Cherryville on the road 14-4, then went home to get whipped 19-6. Cherryville takes game three 5-2.

Randolph defeats Rowan 12-2 in seven in the Area III opener as almost all the Rowan position starters sat in the aftermath of the seven-game series with Burlington-Graham.

Rowan has two radio stations covering it.

Wilmington and Hope Mills are 2-2. HM won 6-1, then lost 1-0 and 4-3 in ten. HM took game four 7-6 in 12.

Area I Playoffs to Begin On The Road

Clayton will be the home team for the Area I best-of-three championship series based on its going undefeated in the playoffs.

The first game will be at Smithfield-Selma High School, 700 Booker Dairy Road, Smithfield, 27577.

Wayne is still scheduled to play at SWHS.

Wayne Rolls to Berth in State Tournament

Box is here. Season totals are here.

I'll add some quotes tomorrow, but I'm headed to Georgia for a tournament. I hope I can keep the car between the ditches tonight.

Update: The car didn't go in the ditch, but my game did.

There was no doubt about this one.

After two contests in which the pitching had to carry the offense, both showed up in full force for Wayne County Saturday night in the Area I East title series at Mount Olive College. As a result, Post 11 is headed to Gastonia.

John Wooten banged out four hits and drove in four runs as Wayne overwhelmed New Bern Post 24 15-1 to swept the best-of-five series and book a place in the American Legion state tournament August 4. Post 11 will face the winner of the Clayton-Durham series in a three-game series to determine the Area I title.

Wayne used three big scoring runs to end the game in seven innings and improve its record to 22-5. In the second, Jay Rose singled to start the inning, and Nolan Lancaster was hit by a pitch with one out. Adron Hollowell walked, and Alex Casey singled through the left side of the infield for two runs. After a two-out walk to Walker Gourley, Wooten drove in two runs with a hit to right.

Wayne put together another big inning in the fourth. Thomas Pilkington followed an intentional pass to Rose with a two-run hit to right as part of the five-run inning for a 9-0 lead.

Post 11 put it away in the sixth with six more runs. Tyler Edward drove in two runs and Wooten had a two-run double. Rose added a run-scoring two-bagger.

Taylor Allen picked up the win with six solid innings. He allowed five hits and walked two to pick up his sixth win and tie Michael Douglas for the lead in that category.

Post 11 Escapes With Win

Box is here. Season stats are here.

Wayne County Post 11 has won more than 700 American Legion baseball games. This one had to have been one of the ugliest.

In a bizarre game in which it didn't hit the ball out of the infield after the third inning, Wayne (21-5) moved within one win of a berth in the American Legion state tournament with a 3-2 win over New Bern on the road Friday night. Post 11 can lock up the Area I East title with a victory tonight at home.

Clayton took a 12-2 seven-inning victory over Durham in game 2 of their Area I West chmpionship series. Clayton is unbeaten in the postseason and can end the series tonight at home. Campbell University pitcher Colin Parker went the distance for Clayton.

For the second straight game, pitching-depleted New Bern got everything it could ask for from its starter as rising sophomore Grey Davis went the distance and limited the Post 11 offense to five hits and a walk

But it wasn't enough.

In a series that has defied expectations, the pitchers have dominated the action, and Wayne countered with an effective performance from its own hurler. Adron Hollowell went seven innings and allowed six hits and a walk before giving way to reliable reliever Jay Rose.

As a result, New Bern (15-10) finds itself in a position of ending the season for the second straight year one series short of its first-ever league championship.

"I hate to see either pitcher lose," remarked Wayne coach Brad Reaves. "It was an ugly game. Each team seemed to be playing to give it away."

Davis kept the Post 11 batters off balance throughout the game by skillfully mixing his pitchers. Many a Post 11 player returned to the dugout talking to himself and wondering why he swung at an offering that almost - or did - land in the dirt.

"Best game he has ever pitched," New Bern coach Gary Smith said. "Grey has had a tendency over the past year to pitch well against inferior opponents or when things are going well. When things get tight, he gets tight and doesn't pitch very well. But that's the best team he has ever pitched against. I can't ask him to do any more than to hold them to three runs."

New Bern grabbed the lead by scoring both its runs in the second. Gabe Brown doubled to left centerfield to open the inning and moved to third as Matt Hardeman singled up the middle. Cam Holton brought home a run with a hit to shallow center. Wayne put on a pickoff play, and catcher Zach Wright caught Holton hanging off first. Post 11 was on the verge of getting out of the inning without further damage when second baseman Walker Gourley made a diving stab of Erick Kosco's grounder and threw him out from the knees. But Rod Sawyer came through with a hit on a 2-0 fastball for another run.

Nolan Lancaster started the Wayne fifth by reaching on one of his team's three infield hits. Bryant Hill bunted him to second, and he stole third. Alex Casey fought off a 1-2 breaking pitch, sending it to third and bringing home Lancaster.

Wayne took the lead in the next inning. John Wooten was safe on a roller down the third base line with one out. Davis knocked down Jay Rose's grounder but threw it under the tarp behind first to put runners on second and third. Wright tied it with a grounder to short, and Rose came home on a passed ball.

Post 11 would have one runner the remainder of the game, so it was up to the pitchers to hold on to the precarious lead. They were up to the task.

Brett Williams drew a leadoff walk in the home sixth and stole second. Hollowell retired the next batter on a fly ball but Williams moved to third on a strikeout throw to first. Shortstop Tyler Edwards speared a sinking liner at him to end the inning.

New Bern was against frustrated in the seventh. Eric Kosco reached on an error when Gourley threw away a routine grounder to open the inning. He took second when Wright's pickoff throw sailed past the first baseman. Hollowell came through again, this time with a strikeout and a weak grouder back to the mound. He finished it by getting a grounder to Wooten at third to end his night.

Rose took over the rest of the way He allowed a two-out double to Brown in the eighth but got the third out on a foul out. New Bern went down in order in the ninth.

Wayne's night began well enough when Gourley lined a one-out extra base hit into the right field corner. He was on his way to third base when play was halted. The culprit? A teammate who was in the area didn't realize the ball was in play, so he caught it with his cap. Walker advanced to third on Wooten's first infield hit but was stranded on an inning-ending double play.

New Bern had a 7-5 edge in hits, and the teams had 17 runners.

Douglas Goes the Distance As Wayne Wins Opener

Box is here. Wilmington has clinched a berth in the state tournament. Season stats are here.

Pitching-starved New Bern got what it needed from Gabe Brown in the opening game of the Area I East title series with Wayne County Thursday night at Mount Olive College. Brown provided an eight-inning performance that would have won many of the games his team played.

But not this one. Not with Michael Douglas getting the starting nod in the other dugout.

Douglas continued his hot streak on the mound by going the distance on a six-hitter as Wayne (20-5) inched closer to a berth in the state tournament in Gastonia with a 5-1 win. The series moves to New Bern High School tonight. Adron Hollowell is slated to start on the mound for Wayne.

In the Area I West series, Clayton Post 71 scored four runs in the bottom of the first and went on to defeat Durham Post 7 6-5.

Since the Durham outing in game 17, in which he gave up six runs, seven hits and two walks without a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings, Douglas has had three starts. The line: 21 2/3 innings, 16 hits, four runs, none earned with seven walks and 13 strikeouts.

"Michael Douglas did us a big favor tonight, keeping everybody fresh in our bullpen," said Wayne coach Brad Reaves, who hadn't planned to allow Douglas to go the distance. "He came in (the dugout) in the eighth under a hundred pitches and said he wanted to finish it. He's good for about 100-110. He doesn't hurt himself up there. He hits his spots and changes speeds. He wasn't laboring at all."

Brown allowed nine hits, walked two and hit two while striking out eight. "I thought he did a great job," Post 24 coach Gary Smith said. "He threw three different pitches for strikes and limited them to five runs. You can't ask for him to do much more than that."

New Bern's only run came in the seventh with Wayne holding a four-run lead, and it resulted from one of four Post 11 errors. After Douglas retired the first two batter, Bobby Dorman reached on a throwing error and Chris Dorman bunted safely down the third base line. Sam Sanders singled home a run, but Douglas retired the next batter on a ground. He got a double play in the eighth and set down the side in order in the ninth for his team-leading sixth win.

Wayne got Douglas all the support he would need in the fourth with a dose of "small ball," although it started with a bang. Brown got ahead of John Wooten 0-2, but Wooten drilled a 1-2 pitch over the head of the center fielder for a triple. One out later, Zach Wright was hit by a pitch.

Thomas Pilkington bunted down the first base line, and Wooten was called safe on a bang-bang play at the plate. Wright ended up at third. Nolan Lancaster's drag bunt toward line resulted in a hit and another run. Brown got another out on a liner to short, but Casey singled to center to make it 4-0.

Wayne's other run came in the eighth. Jay Rose doubled ove the head of the center fielder to start the inning. Wright followed with a hit to center. The throw from the catcher went to second, hitting Wright in the head, ricocheting into center field and allowing Rose to come home.

Reaves isn't expecting another complete game from Hollowell in the second game. "Adron throws more pitches than our other pitchers. If he can get us to the sixth inning, we'll be all right."

But while scoring enough to win, Wayne missed on several opportunities, leaving five runners on third and having three attempted steals go awry.

New Bern will use rising sophomore Grey Davis in its bid to bounce back.

"He is a younger guy in age only," Smith said. "He's pitched in high school playoff games and he pitched in the five-game series against Edenton. I am sure not going to use age as an excuse and I sure hope he doesn't. I expect him to come out and throw like he has been."

Rainout: The Sequel

For those of you who enjoyed last night's telecast, tonight will be just as entertaining.

The good news is that the weather will improve after tonight's mess. We will play this series to the end. We won't switch it to a best-of-three even if it means the Area I series gets shortened.

Rainout

The Area I East championship series opener with New Bern has been rained out.

State Playoff Update

Areas III and IV have the conferences cross during the playoffs. It is possible for two teams from the same league to make the state tournament. Area IV has West No. 1 playing East No. 8, etc. Area III has the higher North team playing the lower South team at the point where the series winner punches its ticket to Gastonia. That's why Caldwell and Cherryville made it to Garner last season.

Area I
East
Wayne County vs. New Bern
West
Durham vs. Clayton
Area II
West
Hope Mills vs. Whiteville (Series tied 2-2)
East
Morehead City vs. Wilmington (Wilmington sweeps 3-0)
Area III
Burlington vs. Rowan County (Burlington leads 2-1)
Randolph County vs. South Rowan (Randolph County leads 2-0)
Area IV
Shelby vs. Cherryville (Series tied 1-1)
Pineville vs. Newell (Pineville leads 2-0)
__________________

New Bern Advances To Area I East Final

New Bern Post 24 will face Wayne County for the second straight year in the Area I East final. Wayne swept the 2007 series.

EDENTON - New Bern Post 24 won a decisive Game 5 over Post 40 at Historic Hicks Field on Saturday, 8-6, to advance to the third round of the American Legion state playoffs.
New Bern fired out to a 4-1 lead, but Edenton found its offense in the fourth inning. Austin Beasley drove in a run on a groundout, then Bryon Brown followed with a broken-bat, two-run home run to tie the score at 4-all.
Post 24 answered in the top of the fifth inning with three runs, two coming on a homer off the bat of Gabe Brown, to push the lead back to three.
That was all New Bern starting pitcher Chris Dorman needed. Dorman gutted his way through for a complete game, allowing 10 hits, four earned runs, walking five and striking out two.
"I think Chris had pitched four or five innings for us until tonight," New Bern coach Gary Smith said. "He competed and dodged bullets. He just made good pitches when he needed to."
Edenton had its chances in the later innings, loading the bases with one out in the fifth, putting two on with one out in the sixth and loading the bases again in the eighth. But Post 40 came up empty each time, stranding 11 runners on the night.
"I felt like if we threw strikes (we would be in the game) and we were able to make plays tonight," Smith said.
After scoring twice in its final at-bat, Edenton brought the potential tying run to the plate, but Post 40's season ended on a long fly ball to center field.

Post 11 Heads Into Area I East Title Series

Box is here. Season totals are here.

They kept banging on the door, but they couldn't break it down.

Pitt County Post 39 didn't have trouble getting base runners against Wayne County Post 11 reliever Jay Rose Saturday afternoon in their Area I East semifinal playoff game at Pitt Community College. The problem was getting them home. As a result, Pitt (16-9)is done for the season and Wayne (19-5) is headed to its twelfth league championship series in fifteen years.

Rose allowed one run over the last six innings and Nolan Lancaster had a two-run homer as Wayne rallied past its old nemesis 9-4 to take the series three games to one and move closer to a berth in the American Legion state tournament in Gastonia. Post 11 will face the winner of Saturday night's New Bern-Edenton game in a best-of-five beginning at home on Tuesday.

Pitt, which finished 16-9, had 13 base runners against Rose on five hits, five walks, a hit batter and two errors. But Rose never allowed anything more than a single and induced three of the four double plays Wayne turned.

Pitt trailed 2-1 before putting together a big third inning. Trey Styons singled to left off Wayne starter Jesse Randolph. Chase Hardee reached on an error to put runners on the corners, and Rose relieved Randolph. Daniel Boyd tied the score with a hit to left.

Tanner Merritt moved the runners on a bunt, and Patrick Roy was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Michael Spruill's grounder got by third baseman John Wooten to give Pitt a two-run lead. The situation didn't improve as Rose walked Ethan Powell after getting ahead 1-2 in the count. But Rose retired the next batter on a fly ball and escaped further damage by registering the only strikeout by either Post 11 hurler.

Lancaster and Adron Hollowell got Wayne off to a good start in the fifth with walks, and that spelled the end for Pitt starter Bobby Hannan. All hands were safe after reliever Aaron Roberson took too much time fielding Alex Casey's bunt down the third base line. Tyler Edwards drove a 1-2 fastball into center field to tie it.

Walker Gourley walked, and John Wooten gave Wayne the lead for good with a sacrifice fly to center. Edwards was caught stealing, and Roberson recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

Pitt's frustrations against Rose continued in the fifth as it stranded two runners. In the Wayne sixth, Cambric Moye reached on an infield hit. One out later, Lancaster's fourth home run of the season gave Wayne some breathing room.

Pitt would get runners in each of the next three innings, but each time Wayne would turn a double play to get Rose out of trouble.

Moye singled up the middle to start the Wayne eighth and advanced to second on a bunt. Lancaster singled him home. Lancaster swiped second and third, then scored on an ground out by Hollowell. Wayne loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but a double played ended the threat.

Wayne's first two runs came in the fourth. Gourley doubled over the head of the left field and stole third. Wooten singled to left to tie it, and Zach Wright hit the ball through the left side of the infield. After a double steal, Moye brought home a run with a ground out up the middle. Wright was out at the plate attempting to score on a fly ball.

Pitt had a 12-11 edge in hits and a 21-19 advantage in runners.

Edenton Forces A Game Five

Edenton defeats New Bern 13-2 in seven innings. Story is here.

Rainout

The Friday night game between Wayne County and Pitt County at Pitt Community College is a rainout.

The next game is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at two.

Hardee Dominates on Mound as Pitt Stays Alive

Box is here. New Bern-Edenton story is here. Season stats are here.

Chase Hardee won't ever be confused with former Pitt County Post 39 hurler and current UNC player Alex White. But that's okay. Just being himself was plenty good enough Thursday night at Mount Olive College.

Hardee spun a three-hit, complete-game masterpiece as the visitors stayed alive in the third game of the Area I East best-of-five series 5-1 to send the teams back to Pitt County Community College tonight. New Bern won against Edenton at Elizabeth City Northeastern High School 7-4 to take a 2-1 lead in that series.

The Wayne offense registered its worst run output of the season. Both are against Post 39, the other coming in the 9-2 regular season loss on the road.

Wayne coach Brad Reaves, whose team fell to 18-5, didn't expect that being on the verge of clinching meant his team could relax. "I thought it was going to be a good series because they have a good team. I didn't think we were going to walk right over them."

Reaves also praised Hardee's performance."We hit that guy's pitch all night long. Every time he wanted us to hit it, we hit it right where he wanted us to hit it. He was in complete control."

"Then we had him deep in the pitch count - I don't know what his pitch count was - and then we go up there in the seventh inning and swing at two first pitches. We were hoping we could get him out but it just doesn't happen. The boy was good tonight."

The turning point Reaves referred to may have come two innings earlier. Hardee had thrown 69 pitches in four innings. Then in the fifth, he fell behind 1-0 to all three batters he faced, including 3-1 to Ron Casey, yet needed only nine pitches to get back to the dugout. He threw 49 pitches over the final five innings. "He threw his but off," said Reaves. "He wasn't ready to go home. I don't think we had the greatest approaches at the plate, but he threw it where he was looking, and when you throw it where you're looking you usually win.'

Wayne starter Taylor Allen was good enough enough to win on most nights, going seven innings and allowing five hits and three walks.

Allen didn't enounter much trouble in the first five innings as he nursed a precarious one-run lead. It came in the second. Zach Wright drew a leadoff walk, stole second and third and scored on a Adron Hollowell's ground out. Wayne had only four runners in scoring position for the game.

Pitt finally broke through in the sixth. Clark Massey tripled to center, and Andrew Cain drilled a 2-2 breaking pitch to center to tie it. He advanced on a ground out and scored on Daniel Boyd's hit to center.

That would turn out to be enough for Hardee, but Post 39 was not finished. An inning later, Tanner Merrit, doubled with one out and Michael Spruill walked. Massey was hit by a pitch with one out to load the bases, and Merritt scored on a passed ball.

Massey effectively slammed the door on a comeback when he belted a two-out, 1-0 fastball from reliever John Wooten well over the left field fence with Spruill aboard.

"There was no intensity," said Reaves. "I don't think we came out with the fire in our bellies to put them away and be done with it."

Post 11 Survives Scare at End

Box is here. Season totals are here.

Greenville Reflector story.

In the end, it got a little too close for comfort.

Wayne County Post 11 took what appeared to be a safe lead into the ninth, then had to survive a rally to defeat Pitt County Post 39 8-5 Wednesday night at Pitt Community College in the second game of their Area I East best-of-five semifinal match up. Wayne (18-4) will be looking to end the series tonight at Mount Olive College.

In the other semifinal game, New Bern Post 24 had 17 hits and defeated Edenton Post 40 15-3 in seven innings to square that series.

The visitors took an 8-2 lead into the ninth and had Jesse Randolph on the mound for the second straight game in relief. Randolph had gotten starter Adron Hollowell out of a sixth-inning jam and retired the side in order in the next two innings. But he found trouble in a big way in the ninth.

Randolph walked leadoff batter Tanner Merritt after being ahead 1-2 in the count. He struck out pinch-hitter Gary Compton on three pitches but gave up consecutive hits to Josh Hudson and Michael Spruill to load the bases. The latter hit came on an 0-2 pitch.

Then the situation got interesting. Center fielder Nolan Lancaster misplayed Clark Massey's single to center, and when the play concluded Massey was at third with the tying run in the on deck circle.

That was all for Randolph, as Wayne coach Brad Reaves brought in left-hander Jay Rose. He got ahead of Andrew Cain on two breaking pitches, then blew a fastball by him for the second out.

Trey Styons kept the rally alive with a full-count walk to bring up the tying run in the form of Chase Hardee. But Rose got him to ground into a force at second on the first pitch to end the game.

As it did in the first game, Wayne scored twice in the first. Tyler Edwards walked, stole second and went to third on a ground out. John Wooten, on his way to another multiple-hit effort, singled through the right side of the infield. Rose singled to left, and the two pulled off a double steal. Thomas Pilkington scored Wooten on a ground ball to second.

Pitt tied it in the second. Spruill reached when the battee ball fell behind the pitcher's mound and none of the infielders could get to it in time. Massey walked and Spruill went to third on a wild pitch. Cain singled him home. Massey scored as Hardee's potential double play grounder was mishandled.

That tied the game, and one out later the runners moved up on a wild pitch. Merritt walked to load the bases but Hollowell got out of it with a strikeout.

Then Wayne took advantage of two errors in the fourth to score five runs. Cambric Moye and Lancaster walked. Then came a pivotal play. Bryant Hill's bunt was thrown away at first to load the bases.

Alex Casey hit into a force out at second to score a run, and Edwards singled to right on a hit-and-run to send Casey to third. The same tactic worked again with Walker Gourley at the plate as he singled to center as Edwards was breaking for second. Wooten scored the fourth run on a ground out, and Gourley ended at second.

Wayne's agressive posture on the bases paid dividends again as Gourley swiped third and continued home on the overthrow. Post 11 would end with nine steals.

In the sixth, Hill reached on an error and Edwards was safe on his misplayed grounder with one out. The two advanced on a double steal, and Gourley made it 8-2 when he punched an 0-2 breaking pitch to second for an RBI.

Wayne Draws First Blood

Box is here. Season totals are here.

The road to the Area I East playoff title has traveled through Pitt or Wayne County for the past 17 years; this one will be no different.

The two league powers began their best-of-five semifinal showdown Tuesday night at Mount Olive College, and Wayne (17-4) survived four errors as well as a triple play to take the first game 7-3. Game two is set for Pitt Community College tonight.

In the other semifinal game, Edenton defeated New Bern 10-9 in Elizabeth City. The game was moved because of a conflict with the Coastal Plains League schedule.

The star for Post 11? John Wooten, who had his fifth multiple-hit performance in the past six games. The big third baseman clubbed his team-leading eighth home run, had four hits and drove in two runs to push his RBI total to 28.

But while Wooten was leading the way at the plate, Wayne got a clutch relief performance from little used Jesse Randolph. The right-hander relieved starter Michael Douglas in the sixth and allowed Pitt one hit the rest of the way.

Post 11 head coach Brad Reaves chose not to dwell much on the errors, being thankful to come away with a victory. "Michael Douglas gives up one run if we don't kick it. But you're going to make errors. That's why they have that column. They make them in the majors. " All three of the Post 39 runs were unearned.

Douglas came through for the second straight game, just as he did in the first-place showdown with Kinston on the road last Sunday. He allowed six hits and walked three but didn't succumb to a big inning. "That's what Michael Douglas does," said Reaves. "He's not a shutdown pitcher. He just gets people out."

After Douglas stranded two runners in the first, including one who reached on an error, the offense went to work against Aaron Roberson. Tyler Edwards walked but was erased on a steal attempt. Walker Gourley followed with another walk, and Wooten sliced the first pitch down the first base line into the right field corner for a triple. Jay Rose singled him home.

A familiar sight opened the Wayne first, as Nolan Lancaster lined out to third. Reaves would point to that after the game. "Look at the balls we hit hard at people. Four to five feet either way and it's a different game."

Adron Hollowell drew a 3-2 walk and Alex Casey doubled to right. Hollowell continued home when the fielder misplayed the ball, and Post 11 had a three-run lead.

Douglass wriggled his way out of trouble in the third. Josh Hudson singled up the middle and Michael Spruill walked to open the inning. Douglas struck out the next batter and got the second out on a force play at second. Trey Styons walked, but a soft liner to second ended the threat.

Wooten led off the bottom of the inning by pouncing on a breaking pitch and sending it over the left field fence.

Post 39 broke the ice in the fourth. Leadoff batter Daniel Boyd doubled to right, and Tanner Merritt reached on an error to put runners on the corners. Hudson singled to left for a run, but Douglas came through with a strikeout and a groundout to limit the damage.

Pitt made it a one-run game in the fifth. Styons singled and stayed alive on an error on an attempted force out. A throwing error on Boyd's grounder resulted in a score and runners on second and third. Wayne conceded a run on a ground out, and Douglas retired the next batter on a fly ball to right.

Wayne made it 5-3 in the sixth but a baserunning blunder cost the team dearly. Lancaster singled through the left side of the infield to start things and went to third on a hit-and-run single by Hollowell. Hollowell moved up on the throw. Casey singled home a run and moved to second on the throw. The stage was set for Wayne to break it open as Pitt changed pitchers.

But it wasn't to be. Edwards grounded out to short, and Casey broke for third while Hollwell remained there. Casey was tagged out on the return throw to the third baseman, and Hollowell was cut down on a close play at the plate. So Wayne had little to show for its great start to the inning.

Randolph took over in the seventh and would give up only a leadoff single in the ninth. The offense gave him some breathing room with two in the eighth. Thomas Pilkington walked and advanced on a bunt. Hollowell singled to center and took second on a fielding error.

Cambrick Moye came off the bench to drive a 2-1 fastball to center to give Wayne a four-run lead.

Putt-Putt Challenge is Tuesday

It's on for Tuesday at the course. We're having a 54 hole better ball tournament beginning at 11:30 in the morning. Players are responsible for getting partners. I'll be there early figuring out the shots, so you can go around the course with me.

The first place team will get $25 per player, and I might have other prizes. Of course, what I mean is that the team that finishes right behind Matt Hunichen and me will get money. We're going to beat all of you worse than a rented mule or a red headed stepchild.

Please bring a putter and a white ball as these will not be available at the course. I have two putters and a few balls but not enough to supply everyone. In fact, you should bring more so you can practice more at each hole.

As long as you make a good faith effort in the event, you're invited to the Pizza Inn or wherever we decide to go. And it's on me.

Nolan, you can tell your dad we'll pay him as soon as one of us wins the state lottery.

See you there!

On-Base Percentages

Edwards 45-97 464
Gourley 52-94 553
Wooten 38-95 400
Wright 31-67 463
Rose 28-77 364
Moye 16-49 333
Pilkington 26-69 377
Casey 31-68 456
Hill 20-57 351
Lancaster 32-71 450
Hollowell 17-42 405

Area I East Powers to Meet Tuesday at MOC

Pitt County Post 39 eliminated Wilson Post 13 11-7 Saturday night at Pitt Community College to set up a best-of-five semifinal match up with Wayne County. This will be the eighteenth straight season either Wayne or Pitt will play for the league title.

In that span, Rocky Mount has one, Snow Hill two and Pitt and Wayne seven championships.

New Bern will travel to Edenton in the other game.

In the West, no upsets. Clayton at Cary and Apex at Durham.

BellSouth Legion HomePage No Longer Operational

I dropped my land line last week for a cell phone. Apparently, that means I cannot have a BellSouth account. One result is that I cannot update the home page this blog links to. It may disappear after a while, so anyone wanting to keep information from the site should copy and paste it to a writing program. I have already done that.

I may explore the possibility of moving all that information elsewhere if the homepage disappears. I might be able to link to one Google Documents page and use that to link to the other pages. Suggestions are welcome.

Only Because I Promised

Always leave a button undone on your jersey to show your physique to the ladies.

Post 11 player Jay Rose, man about town and the leading candidate to play Julian in the remake of the film classic American Gigolo, giving advice on how to attract groupies.

Wooten Homers Twice as Wayne Sweeps

Season stats through 19 games are here. Brad's good friend from Caldwell County might come here to root for us now that his team was swept in the Area IV first round by Huntersville.

Box is here. 20 Game stats are here.

Mission accomplished.

Wayne County entered the Area I East playoffs with the idea of not only getting through the first round against Edgecombe County, but doing it in impressive fashion. And a dominant performance it was: In the history of the program, only the 1997 16-0 and 35-0 sweep of Spring Hope resulted in a greater margin of victory.

Post 11 rolled into the semifinals with a 15-1 win at Tarboro's Indian Lake Sports Complex Friday night and will await the winner of the Pitt County-Wilson series. The second game of that match up, which Pitt leads, was rained out after Pitt Community College officials decided the field was too wet to be used. Edenton defeated Kinston 5-2 to force a third and deciding game Saturday night. Nate Healy went the distance on the mound as New Bern defeated North No. 1 Rocky Mount 5-1 for the second straight game to advance to the second round.

Wayne (16-4) will play host to the first game Tuesday at Mount Olive College. The remainder of Wayne's games this season will be played there, and Post 11 officials expect to return to that site next season after moving to Southern Wayne High School due to field renovations.

Wayne took its time putting this game away, building a 5-1 lead after four innings. The killing blow came in the form of a ten-run seventh inning in which John Wooten homered twice. The second one came with a wooden bat.

Wooten led off the explosion with a first-pitch shot that cleared the left field fence. Adron Hollowell drove in a pair of runs with a hit to right, and Tyler Edwards tripled home two runs as Post 11 bunched a walk, a double, a triple, two home runs and five singles against Post 316.

Wooten was not the only player to contribute to the power surge. Walker Gourley followed a walk to Edwards in the third with a homer to left. An inning earlier, Zach Wright drove a 0-2 changeup over the fence in center field. One out later, Nolan Lancaster doubled down the left field line and scored on a ground ball single to center by Hollowell.

For the second straight night, the offense had 17 hits. Everyone in the starting lineup got a hit, and seven had two.

While the offense was having its way with a trio of Edgecombe pitchers, Taylor Allen was silencing the opposition bats. He allowed a first-inning run, then gave up one hit the last six innings for his fifth win. He recorded only one strikeout but needed only 78 pitches in the seven-inning contest. Two-thirds of those pitches went for strikes, as he was especially effective in hitting his spots.

Directions to the Game

For you old folks - and I guess that includes your humble correspondent - we're not going to the place made famous in the Cowsills song. Just so you don't get confused.

Directions to the Indian Lake Sports Complex (3300 Western Boulevard, Tarboro 27886)From Wilson, you're probably going to take NC 111. When you get to Western ( US 64 Business), you should see an Aadi gas station on the left and a Shell station on the right across the street. Turn left. At the second light, you will be near Tarboro High School (1400 Howard Ave, in case you want to Google it.) Keep straight for close to two miles. The directions I got say it's on the right. This conflicts with what is below. But you'll be close either way. In the case of the directions below, East means you're coming from the west. I don't want Allen Hollowell and Mac Allen to get confused. The above directions came to me in a dream, so take them for what they're worth.

Indian Lake Sports Complex3300 Western BlvdTarboro NC 27886From US 64 take exit 485 which is Western Blvd. From East turn left and From West turn right after you exit. Go about 4 miles and you will see Free Will Baptist Church on left and just after that you will see Indian Lake Sports Complex on your left.

No Problems for Wayne in Playoff Opener

Box is here. Stats later today.

Wayne County coach Brad Reaves wanted to let the Area I East opposition know that his team would be a forced to be reckoned with in the playoffs.

Consider the message sent.

Post 11 left no doubt as to the superior team as it crushed outmanned Edgecombe County Post 316 18-2 Thursday night at Southern Wayne High School in the first game of their best-of-three series. The second game will be played tonight in Tarboro at the Indian Lake Sports Complex.

In other action, Pitt County Post 39 defeated Wilson 5-4 at Fleming Stadium. Kinston blanked Edenton 8-0.

"I told them, 'Guys, they don't play (the games) in the papers. We got the top seed, and let's send a message why we got the top seed.' They pretty much responded. If we play like this, we'll be hard to beat."

Wayne failed to score in the first inning but got rolling after that and brought home all but eight of it runners. Meanwhile, starter Adron Hollowell allowed two hits, back-to-back home runs, and a walk in five innings. "Adron didn't have his best stuff," said Reaves, "but he gave us five strong innings and we're tickled with that."

Nolan Lancaster put Post 11 on the board in the second by following a Cambric Moye single with his third home run. The second inning saw Wayne dash any hopes Edgecombe had of a shocker as it put ten runs on the board. Walker Gourley drove in two runs with a single, and John Wooten and Zach Wright followed with RBI hits, all with two outs.

Earlier in the inning, Bryant Hill and Alex Casey came through with consecutive bunt singles. Reaves cited those hits as what he called "backbreakers." Eight hits, a walk, a hit batter and three errors gave Post 11 a comfortable 12-0 lead.

Tyler Edwards' first home run as part of the three-run fourth gave Wayne 21 for the season. Two runs scored on wild pitches.

Six players had multiple-hit games, led by Moye's three. Nine players had at least one RBI.

It's Playoff Time!!!!!!!!!!

The Area I East and West playoffs begin this evening with the top four teams in the North and South divisions facing off in best-of-three series. Wayne County will play host to Edgecombe County, Rocky Mount welcomes New Bern, Pitt 39 travels to Wilson and Kinston will be home against Edenton. The second round, a best-of-five, will begin Tuesday.

Wayne County tied with Pitt and Kinston for first place but got the South No. 1 as a result of having the best record among the group. Post 11 will take a 14-4 record into the postseason in its quest to make a second straight trip to the state tournament, being held this year in Gastonia. Edgecombe County is 3-15 but has a recent win over 16-4 Wilson to its credit.

What is the most likely route to success for Post 11 this postseason? The 2008 edition went 6-0 out of the gate and got steady and reliable performances from its young pitching staff. In those six games the staff had a 1.80 ERA and allowed 49 hits in 50 innings. The offense was scoring 8.5 runs per game.

Then came the three-game slide that resulted from the team allowing 28 runs. The ERA jumped over two points. Wayne would right the ship and win seven straight but the pitching woes continued as the staff struggled with consistency.

Here is a comparison of the 2007 and 2008 teams after they completed their regular seasons. A couple of caveats are in order. Last year's team played at Mount Olive College and had a disadvantage when it came to home runs, so this year's team's 19 may not be as impressive as it seems.

In addition, the advantage in pitching on the 2007 squad is even more pronounced than the numbers would suggest, even though the pitchers were gaining the advantage of playing in a much bigger park. At that point, Garrett Davis had thrown nine innings and Grant Sasser a tad over 13. Both would figure prominently in Wayne's postseason push. The current team has no one approaching those two.

One other disturbing number: the 2008 team has allowed 40 percent of the opposition runners to score, the second worst rate in the past 19 seasons. Only two other teams have allowed more than 6.2 runs per game.

But there is another number that needs to be addressed. The sign of a good team is that it doesn't merely beat the other teams; it beats up on them. (Click here to look at "winning the close ones.") The elite Wayne County teams record-wise won over 80 percent of the games in which the margin of victory was at least three runs. The 2008 team is 12-3 in such contests. Good American Legion teams don't play a lot of close games.

So, who's hot heading into the playoffs? For one, John Wooten. In the first nine games, he was 9-36 with five RBI and no home runs. Since then, he's 15-35 with five home runs and 17 RBI.

Zach Wright through seven games was 4-19 with seven RBI Since then, he's 15-32 with five home runs.

Walker Gourley started out like a ball of fire and probably had nowhere to go but down. In the first seven games, he was 15-26 with seven extra base hits and 12 RBI. From that point, he "declined" to 16-42 with 6 RBI.

In the first nine games, 32 of the 54 runs allowed were earned. Since then, 46/57. That coincides with the reduction in errors. First nine games, Wayne made 29 to the opposition's 19 but since then opponents have a 31-21 disadvantage.

Well, it's getting late. See you later today.

Kinston Pictures

These pictures were taken by my somewhat talented and definitely not attractive assistants Matt Hunichen and Taylor Allen.

Amberly, you got nuttin' to worry about.

Playoff Pairings and Season Totals

The pairings for the Area I East and West playoffs are here.

The statistics are here. I will try later this week to look at the numbers compared to other recent teams and see where the 2008 edition stacks up.

Also, I might post some Kinston pictures here or on the other site linked on the right.

The game at Edgecombe County will be played next to Martin Middle School. The address is 400 E. Johnston St. Tarboro 27886.

Douglas Shines in Post 11 Win in Kinston

Box is here. Stats later today, as it's approaching two.

In his most crucial test as an American Legion pitcher, Michael Douglas passed with flying colors.
The Wayne County right-hander, who didn't get out of the third inning in his previous start, pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings as Post 11 blanked Kinston 8-0 on the road Sunday night to claim the top spot from the Area I East South and home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs beginning Thursday. Wayne will face either Edgecombe County or Tarboro.

Wayne (14-4) tied for first with Kinston and Pitt County 39 at 5-3 but gets the No. 1 position because of the best record within the group. Kinston, which took the second position, will face Edenton, the North No. 3 while Pitt takes on Wilson. New Bern, fourth at 4-4 will travel to Rocky Mount.

Douglas allowed seven hits and walked two in 2 1/3 innings against Durham Post 7 last Thursday, but he was a different person in the showdown for first at Kinston High School.

"He set them up and they had no idea what to expect," said Post 11 coach Brad Reaves. "They couldn't sit on anything. He actually had seven pitches because he changed speeds.

"Pitching is about disrupting timing. He did a great job of that."

While Douglas was holding Post 43 in check, the offense, in Reaves' words, "Let a village on the bases."

Wayne had 20 runners and was constantly putting together scoring threats only to be frustrated by the lack of a big inning. Tyler Edwards started the game with a double, and Walker Gourley reached on an error. Edwards was thrown out at home on John Wooten's hit to center, and Kinston got out of the inning with a double play.

The most success came in the three-run third. Zach Wright was hit in the helmet to begin the inning, and Thomas Pilkington sent a ground ball through the left side of the infield. The runners advanced on a groundout, and Adron Hollowell's ground ball to first got a run home. Wayne got a bit of good luck when Alex Casey's hit to right skidded past the fielder for a triple. He scored on an Edwards single to left.

Wayne added an unearned run in the third, then made it 6-0 in the seventh. Jay Rose reached on an error before Wright launched a breaking pitch over the left field fence.

In the eighth, Casey walked and went to second on a wild pickoff throw. After a walk to Edwards, Walker Gourley moved the runners with a bunt. Wooten doubled to right centerfield to drive home two runs.

Douglass stranded four runners in scoring position in the first three innings, then allowed one runner over the next three. He retired the first two batters in the seventh, but Carter Capps and billy Dudding singled to spell the end for Douglas.

Rose took over on the mound and shut down Kinston the rest of the way on a hit and a walk.

A Few Pictures

Waiting out the rain at South Central High School in Winterville. Tyler Edwards gives John Gourley some blunt advice on how to be a good athletic officer. John Wooten listens intently, hoping to pass along a few nuggets of wisdom to the other AO, his father.

Michael Douglas in his last outing. This picture was taken by Amberley, my lovely and talented assistant. Well, from the looks of the image, maybe we'd better lay off the latter adjective. She needs some practice.

Wayne, Kinston to Play for Top Spot

The playoff picture is coming more into focus as we enter the weekend.

Kinston defeated New Bern 7-3 at home Thursday. The remaining games are Pitt 160 @ Pitt 39 and Wayne at Kinston.

The winner of the Wayne-Kinston game gets the top spot in the South for the playoffs. (Contrary to what you may read, teams are not "seeded." Nobody gets into a room and creates brackets. But eye digress.)

Kinston is 5-2; Wayne and Pitt 39 are 4-3; New Bern is 4-4. Here are the scenarios:

Wayne loss and Pitt win: Kinston is one and Pitt two. Wayne is fourth due to the NB sweep.
Wayne and Pitt win: Wayne (3-1), Kinston (2-2) and Pitt (1-3). Wayne gets top spot.
Wayne and Pitt lose: Pitt (3-1), New Bern (2-2) and Wayne (1-3).
Wayne win and Pitt loss: Pitt is third because it swept New Bern

Gentlemen, it's in our hands. We'll either be home Thursday or headed to Rocky Mount.

Durham Snaps Wayne's Win Streak

Box is here. Season stats through Garner are here. Current stats are here.

This time the offense couldn't save the pitching.

It didn't matter who Wayne County coach Brad Reaves put on the mound Thursday night at Southern Wayne High School. The visitors scored against all of them.

Durham Post 7 (12-8) racked up 19 hits against four pitchers and halted Wayne's winning streak at seven games with a 12-3 victory. Wayne (13-4) will play host to Clayton Saturday night before heading to Kinston for a crucial Area I East South Division showdown Sunday night.

All the players in the starting lineup for Durham had hits as Post 7 scored in all but one inning. By contrast, the Wayne offense, coming off a 17-7 pounding of Garner in which it had 17 safeties, was limited to seven.

For the second straight night, the Wayne staring pitcher didn't get to the fifth inning. Michael Douglas allowed seven hits and walked two in 2 2/3 innings. Durham's Ari Seelinger didn't far much better in going four innings and giving up six hits, four walks and four runs.

The Post 11 defense didn't help matters by committing five errors leading to four unearned runs.

Durham's big inning came in the third with a 2-1 lead. Geoff Turner had an RBI double and Robert Long drove in two on a bases-loaded single in the five-run inning.

Post 7 would score in all but one inning the rest of the way. Long had a solo shot in the fifth, and Turner homered to center inthe eighth.

Wayne loaded the bases in the second. Thomas Pilkington started the inning with the first of his two his, and Cambric Moye singled to right. Bryant Hill drew a one-out walk, and Alex Casey drove in a run with a force out on his grounder.

Post 11 added two in the fourth. Casey walked with one out and went to third on a double down the third base line by Tyler Edwards. Walker Gourley, who had two hits, slapped an opposite-field double to right to make it 8-3.

But the Wayne offense spent the rest of the game being frustrated in its failure to take advantage of opportunities as it stranded 12.

Wayne Routs Garner

Box is here. Totals thrugh North Raleigh are here.

Note: I think I have the printer problem solved, so I'll try to update everything before tonight's game.

Note 2: The playoff situation in the division is still fluid. Here is a favorable scenario for Post 11. Kinston defeats NB tonight. Wayne defeats Kinston and Pitt 39 beats Pitt 160. That produces a three-way tie for first. Records within the group: Wayne 3-1, Kinston 2-2 and Pitt 1-3.

One team had won six straight, and the other seven. Something had to give. It did, in a big way.

Led by John Wooten's six RBI, including a three-run homer, Wayne County Post 11 stormed to a 17-7 win over Garner Post 232 Wednesdy night at Garner High School in a game pitting Area I East and West teams.

Wayne (13-3) will face another Triangle team tonight when it hosts Durham Post 7.

The Post 11 offense continued its recent trend of bashing opposition pitching. In its seven-game winning streak, the team has scored 85 runs and hit double digits in all but one contest. The looming problem is run prevention, as opponents have scored 45 runs in that same span.

Neither starter fared well and was gone well before the game neared its conclusion. Jesse Randolph started for Post 11 in his first action since June 8. He went four innings and allowed seven hits and four runs. The positive aspect was that he didn't walk anyone. Only 14 of his 50 pitches were balls.

Garner's Zach Baraski didn't make it out of the second inning and left after allowing six runs, five hits and three walks. But it didn't seem to matter much who Post 232 put before the Post 11 batters.

Wayne scored twice in the first, then added four in the second. Nolan Lancaster started the inning with the first of his two doubles. Alex Casey drew a one-out walk. Tyler Edwards singled down the third base line for a run, Casey scored on a wild pitch and Walker Gourley walked on four pitches. Wooten doubled to center for two runs for a 6-0 lead.

Garner got half of that back in the bottom of the innings. Landon Adams had a two-out, two-run double.

Wayne made it 8-3 in the third as it took advantage of a dropped foul ball to score two unearned runs.

With the score 11-5, Wayne put up three runs in each of the final two innings to win going away. Small ball helped pave the way for the runs in the eighth. Gourley bunted safely down the third base line and moved to second on Wooten's hit to center. Gourley picked up his third theft as part of a double steal and continued home on the errant throw. Wooten scored on a passed ball. Zach Wright, who had three infield hits and a bloop singled to center, bunted his way to first and later scored on Lancaster's double.

Edwards doubled down the third base line to open the nine, and Gourly drew his third walk before Wooten homered to left for his fifth round-tripper of the season to tied for the team lead with Wright.

Wooten and Wright had four hits. Edwards, Gourley and Lancaster had two. Taylor Allen got the win in relief as he allowed one unearned run over two innings.

Rose Shines on the Mound in Wayne Win

Box is here. Stats this afternoon.

In 2007, Jay Rose quietly but effectively finished several of Wayne County's postseason games on the mound. Tuesday night, he was called upon again, in a much more high-leverage situation, and passed with flying colors.

The Post 11 southpaw rescued his team from a fifth-inning jam and picked up his first win of the season as Wayne defeated North Raleigh Post 297 7-4 Tuesday night at home in a non-conference match up. Wayne will travel to Garner tonight before returning home to face Durham on Thursday. Wayne won its sixth straight to go to 12-3.

Wayne had a 4-3 lead in the fifth when Akeem Hood walked and Brennan Dorsett was hit by a pitch. Brian Young tied it on a ground ball single to left. A double steal put both runners in scoring position for cleanup hitter Jonathan Redd. The big first baseman already left his mark in the game with a solo home run in the second and a single in the fourth.

Post 11 coach Brad Reaves knew it was time for Rose.

"I got him up a little bit late," Reaves said. "I knew that big left-hander was coming up and I wanted that match up, especially if they had a couple of people on."

Rose used the situation to his advantage and fanned Redd on four pitches, the last one a curve ball. He also struck out Bo Brant to strand the runners.

"Jay just comes up big for you," said Reaves. "Jay's a gamer. I want him on my side at the end of the game. I don't want to face him with anything on the line.

Rose did walk two in the sixth but got out of it with a strikeout and a popup he caught. He gave up a one-out double to Young in the seventh but closed the door after that with two strikeouts.

Wayne tied it in the third with the aid of an error, then added three in the fourth With two out, Cambric Moye and Nolan Lancaster walked. They advanced on a wild pitch. Adron Hollowell fell behind in the count 0-2, took a couple of balls and drilled a fastball to centerfield for a double and the lead. He scored on a hit by Bryant Hill.

North Raleigh almost got out of a bases-loade jam in the sixth. Lancaster doubled to right to begin the inning. Hollowell walked and Zach Wright was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The drawn-in infield got Lancaster on the plate on a grounder, and Walker Gourley popped out. John Wooten was safe at first on an infield hit behind second, and a second run scored after the throw home was late.

Tiebreakers

For any position with identical conference records:
1. Head to head
2. Run differential in head to head
3. Run diferential n Conference
4. Coin flip.

Bob Figulski
American Legion Baseball
Area1 Commissioner