Snow Hill finds bats in victory

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 22, 2004 1:55 PM

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WINTERVILLE -- Maybe the inner demons on offense have disappeared.

Haunted by stranding base runners in scoring position throughout the season, Snow Hill Post 94 found some much-needed offensive punch Monday evening against Area I East newcomer Pitt County Post 160.

Eight of nine starters collected at least one hit apiece as Post 94 prevailed 14-3 in a South Division contest on the South Central High School diamond. Seven starters turned in multiple-hit performances and Snow Hill amassed 10 hits as a team with runners in scoring position.

Post 94 improved to 4-1 in road games this season and climbed into third overall in the South Division. Snow Hill (6-6, 2-1 South) takes today off and entertains Martin County in a non-division game Wednesday.

"We just needed to come out and play with one hundred-percent intensity for nine innings," Snow Hill assistant coach Matt Webster said. "Too many times this year, we've seen where one or two innings have killed us and that's just lack of not playing with that intensity.

"We haven't had that killer instinct of coming in and getting the job done."

The first two innings were replays of previous Post 94 outings.

Snow Hill put runners at first and second with one out in each inning. However, Post 94 went hitless in four at-bats with those players in scoring position and left three stranded at either second or third base.

It appeared as if those internal frustrations had surfaced again in a key division game.

"I told the guys we had to get the momentum early," Webster said. "You've got to have that mindset to put them away. As a coaching staff, we believe they can do that.

"But it's time they believe in themselves, and that they're talented enough to compete with anybody."

Post 94 battled from behind and tied the game at 1-1 in the third.

Catcher Joseph Wade, who batted 4-for-5 with an RBI, belted a hard-hit ball to right field. Post 160's defender dove for it, but the ball bounced past him and rolled toward the fence.

Wade scampered to third and scored one out later on Matthew Tyndall's single to left. But, like the first two innings, Post 94 couldn't do any significant damage. Tyndall got gunned down at second on a fielder's choice groundout and two more runners were left stranded once the inning ended.

Snow Hill finally took control in the fourth against Pitt County right-hander Kyle Jones. Post 94 sent 12 batters to the plate and banged out eight hits, including three extra-base knocks.

Webster's team collected six hits in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position in the inning. Chip Wall delivered a two-RBI single. Wade tripled to score Jon Allen Conway. Jamie Clifton, Travis Rouse and Conway each contributed an RBI.

Once the carnage ended, Snow Hill owned a decisive 8-1 lead.

"Kyle was throwing well, but he wasn't hitting his spots," Post 160 manager Paul Hill said. "He was getting the ball up and he went from every pitch having a purpose to just throwing the ball.

"You can't do that at all. They were just sitting back, waiting for his mistakes and teeing off on them."

Snow Hill touched Post 160 reliever Jason Wood for six runs (two earned) on six hits in three-plus innings.

The 17-hit output was Post 94's second-highest total of the season after an 18-hit explosion against Ahoskie on June 6. The 14 runs tied a season high as well as the margin of victory (11 runs).

Post 94 right-hander Blake Herring scattered six hits in a six-inning stint and earned his first victory in three starts. The rising sophomore at Lenoir Community College notched seven strikeouts and yielded a two-run home run to Blake Jamison in the sixth.

"Blake started out strong and kept the ball down," Webster said. "He was able to locate all three pitches and he's developed a good change-up while at Lenoir. Towards the end, being the man he is, he said 'I'm losing it coach.'

"We put Chip in and he's more than capable of finishing the job for us."

Wall provided one inning of one-hit relief.

Snow Hill 001 720 4 -- 14 17 1

Pitt Co. 160 100 002 0 -- 3 7 2

Leading hitters -- Snow Hill -- Jon Allen Conway 2-5, 2B, 3B, RBI; Joseph Wade 4-5, 3B, RBI; Matthew Tyndall 1-3, RBI; Jamie Clifton 2-4, 4 RBI; Edward Green 2-3; Travis Rouse 2-4, 2 RBI; Jordy Davis 2-4, 2 RBI; Chip Wall 2-5, 2 RBI. Pitt County 160 -- Josh Wilson 2-4; Blake Jamison 1-2, HR, 2 RBI; Bill Hopkins 1-3; Richard Barnhill 1-3, 2B; Bryant Cooke 1-2; Brandon Sneed 1-3.

DP -- Snow Hill 1, Pitt County 160 1. LOB -- Snow Hill 10, Pitt County 5. SB -- Clifton. SH -- Clifton.

IP H R ER BB SO

Snow Hill Post 94

Herring (W, 1-1) 6 6 3 2 0 7

Wall 1 1 0 0 0 0

Pitt County Post 160

K. Jones (L) 31Ú3 12 8 8 2 2

Wood 32Ú3 6 6 2 1 3

WP -- Wood. BK -- Wood. HBP -- Davis (by K. Jones); Tyndall (by Wood); Green (by Wood); Jamison (by Herring).