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.