Wayne Opens With Rout of Ahoskie

Box Score

It didn't take long for new Wayne County Post 11 coach Rob Watt to have to make a major decision in his team's American Legion opener against Ahoskie Post 102 Saturday afternoon at Mount Olive College.

Starting pitcher Eric DuBose had walked four of the first eight batters, including two with the bases loaded. Watt, however, stuck with his left-hander and it paid off handsomely.

DuBose followed a five-run first inning with five scoreless ones, and Wayne took advantage of a multitude of miscues to roll to an 18-6 win. Wayne will travel to Smithfield-Selma High School tonight to face Clayton. Game time is 7 p.m.

DuBose's control problems led to 40 pitches in the opening inning, but he regained his control and sailed through the next four innings on 53. He finished with six walks and six strikeouts.

His counterparts were another story. Four Ahoskie pitchers walked nine and threw eight wild pitches. Those control problems helped fuel the Post 11 comeback. The Post 102 defense didn't help matters with nine errors.

Both teams were missing players due to the postseason playoffs and other committments.

Wayne bounced back with three in the first, then seized control with nine in the third. Adron Hollowell and Zack Chase started the inning by walking on four pitches Nick McGee reached when the pitcher slipped while attempting to field a grounder in front of the mound.

A run scored on a wild pitch, and Chase was out at home on a grounder. McGee came home as Zach Grantham's grounder was being misplayed. Consecutive walks led to another run, and Jordan Quinn scored on an errant pickoff throw.

Still, Ahoskie was close to getting out of the inning without too much damage after reliever Tyler Pryor struck out the next batter. But it was not to be. Kevin Wise drilled a run-scoring double over the head of the shallow-playing centerfielder. Hollowell drew another walk, and Chase McGee and Cody Davis allow came through with RBI singles to make it 12-5.

Wayne's other big inning came in the five-run sixth. It was helped along by three errors, two wild pitches and two passed balls. Wise and Davis drove in runs.