Bats, Randolph Lead Post 11 to Big Road Win

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Season Totals

Kinston Defeats New Bern

Note: Again, you may have to attempt to access the Google Docs links more than once to get them to work. I signed out in order to check the links and found that to be the case.

Neither starting pitcher was around for long in Wednesday night's American Legion contest between Wayne County Post 11 and Pitt County Post 39 at Pitt Community College. Fortunately for Wayne, it had Jesse Randolph in relief while Pitt had ... well, nobody.

Pitt, which is still looking for its first Area I East South Division win, surged to a six-run lead after two innings only to see Wayne crank out 20 hits en route to a 20-10 win in a contest that went seven innings. It was Post 11's first victory of the season under the ten-run rule and upped its mark to 91-10 in those games.

Wayne (5-2, 8-4) will play host to New Bern tonight at Mount Olive College, needing a win to keep alive its hopes of a first place finish and homefield advantage in the playoffs.

Pitt knocked around Wayne starter Will Broadwell to the tune of seven runs in less than two innings. Broadwell never could establish control of his breaking pitch and left with one out in the second. He allowed six hits and two walks and didn't record a strikeout. Hayes Askew and Zach Stoll each drove in two runs as Pitt batted around in the second.

Randolph didn't fare much better when he came in, allowing four consecutive hits, including the one by Stoll. The inning ending after Stoll was thrown out at first after venturing too far from the bag after his hit. That was the high water mark for Pitt, and it was almost all Wayne the rest of the way.

Pitt managed only one run and four hits against Randolph over the next four innings as he showed an especially effective breaking pitch. Pitt's final run came in the fourth on a two-out hit by Tyler Nichols.

In the fourth, it was Wayne's turn to flex its offensive muscles. Trailing 9-4, Post 11 took the lead for good with seven runs against a trio of hurlers. Three of the nine walks Wayne drew came in the inning, and Tyler Edwards had two of his four RBI. John Wooten added a bases-loaded walk. There were 57 pitches in the inning, and Pitt went on to throw 189 for the game.

The first four innings lasted slightly over two hours, but the pace soon picked up thanks to Randolph and the game clocked in at a little under three hours.

Wayne's eight-run seventh did not begin auspiciously. Colton Fulghum reached on an error but was caught stealing and Cody Richards, who had four hits, fouled out to the catcher.

Then the visitors caught fire. Zack Mozingo singled, Josh Frederick walked and Edwards singled sharply off the glove of the third baseman on an 0-2 fastball to score Mozingo. Nick McGee drove in a run with a hit to center, and John Wooten's popup was dropped to load the bases.

Cambric Moye, who had pulled several curveballs foul, got one to his liking and sent it over the left field fence. Robert Faucette followed with his second double, and Fulghum walked. Richards drilled a fastball over the head of the centerfielder for two runs, and all that remained was for Matt Neal to close out Pitt in the home half.

"I thought we'd score," said Wayne coach Brad Reaves. "I knew we had Jesse, and Jesse was pretty rested. Jesse pitches pretty well here. He's been a lifesaver against these guys here."

Pitt committed six errors to none for Wayne. "I think we're going to play defense," said Reaves. I don't have any problems with our defense. Tyler did a great job last year at shortstop. You know John is going to make plays at third. We've got good outfielders."

All the Wayne starters had a hit. McGee and Richards had four apiece.