Edenton, Rain Overcome Post 11

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Season Totals

All the other series are 2-0

The American Legion playoff series between Wayne County Post 11 and Edenton Post 40 moved from one of the two biggest parks in the league to the smallest Wednesday night. That, according to Wayne coach Brad Reaves, seem to play a pivotal role in his team's 8-5 loss at Hicks Field in Edenton. The best-of-five series, tied a game apiece, resumes tonight at Mount Olive College.

Edenton struck for three runs in the first, built a five-run lead and held off a ninth-inning rally with the aid of a downpour. Wilson, Kinston and Rocky Mount all won to take control of their series.

"I watched the way they took batting practice; I watched the way they approached it," said Reaves. "Our boys, when they got off the bus, they saw that 300 sign (in left) and that 298 sign (in right) and their eyes lit up." The 350-foot center field wall also beckoned.

Reaves added that he predicted to his team that the great majority of his team's outs would be in the air, and he was not wrong. Only four of the 19 outs not coming from strikeouts were on the ground.

Edenton, on the other hand, hit five doubles, including two off the wall. Most of its outs did come off of ground balls.

Still, Wayne almost pulled off the comeback. Tyler Edwards singled with one out in the ninth and, with the visitors down to their last out, Cambric Moye doubled him home. Pinch-hitter Robert Faucette traded places with Moye with a two-bagger to center.

Faucette went to third on a hit to right by Scott Holloman. Meanwhile, the light rain transformed itself into a torrent, and the field began to puddle. Kevin Wise walked on a full count, and Colton Fulghum reached on a error to score Faucette.

The count went to three balls on Josh Frederick before Edenton coach Bob Jordan asked the umpires to consider delaying play. After a brief discussion, they did so. At that time, it was apparent that the field was unplayable.

And it would remain so. The Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plains League had the equipment locked up and do not allow the Legion team to use the tarp. The umpires eventually called the game.

Wayne starting pitcher Zack Mozingo got into trouble in the first and never found his rhythm, allowing nine hits and two walks over four innings.

"His location was not very good," said Reaves. "But he was due one. Zack's had a great year. He had a great year in high school and for us. But there were some plays we should have made. We drifted after some ball when we should have gone back and found the fence. When we jump and the ball hits the bottom of the fence, we've got to catch that kind."

Nikolai Simonsen drew a leadoff walk in the first, and Tyler Barrington drag bunted to the right side of the infield. J.J. Allen and Austin Beasley had RBI singles, and anothe run scored on a force play.

Post 11 bounced back with two in the second. Holloman drove a breaking pitch over the left field wall to start the inning. Singles by Fulghum, Matt Neal and Tyler Edwards made it 3-2.

Mozingo breeze through the second but gave up a walk and an RBI double in the third. Simonsen and Allen drove in runs in the fourth as Post 40 make it 6-2. Edenton scored two runs off reliever Jesse Randolph.

The teams had 12 hits apiece.