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.