Snow Hill suffers home loss

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on July 3, 2005 2:01 AM

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SNOW HILL -- Josh Ashton and Brandon Scott delivered key, late-inning hits as Pitt County 39 rallied for an 8-5 victory Saturday evening at Snow Hill Post 94.

With the come-from-behind victory, Post 39 seized a commanding 1 1/2-game lead over Wayne County in Area I East Division play. Pitt County concludes its regular-season slate at home today with a doubleheader against Edenton.

Snow Hill (11-9, 8-9 Area I East) remained on the playoff bubble and continues play this evening at New Bern.

Down 4-3, Mark Letchworth started the Pitt County eighth with a single up the middle off Post 94 starter Jordy Davis. Davis worked Ashton to an 0-1 count before hanging an inside curveball that Davis slapped high over the scoreboard in right field.

That gave the visitors a 5-4 advantage.

"I told the guys I don't care who we're playing because we've always got a chance," Pitt County 39 coach Mike Mullis said. "We've got enough guys who can hit. I felt like we could still score a couple of runs.

"Ashton's hit was huge."

It was Davis' third homer of the season.

"That's two games Davis has hurt us," Post 94 coach James "Rabbit" Fulghum said. "We could set him up pretty good, but we didn't have anything to throw him."

Scott provided his back-breaking hit in the ninth. Jason Cargile singled with one out and Alex White drew an intentional walk. Scott worked reliever Tommy Cobb to a 3-2 count before ripping a two-RBI triple down the right field line.

Scott eventually scored on a wild pitch for an 8-4 lead.

"That was a good piece of hitting ... an outside pitch that he went after," Fulghum said. "These boys who come back from one year of college are a little more competitive and know the situation a little better.

"They're harder to fool. We've been there when we've had three (college players) on the field."

The late-inning surge overshadowed two quality pitching performances.

Pitt County 39 left-hander Steven Cherry (3-1) scattered four hits and notched seven strikeouts in a seven-inning stint. Brian Hill tossed two innings of no-hit relief for the save.

Snow Hill's Davis, in his first start, worked seven-plus innings before leaving in the eighth. A Lenoir Community College signee, Davis (0-1) struck out three, walked three and yielded five runs (three earned) on eight hits.

"Jordy did an outstanding job," Fulghum said. "At times, he needs to work on his spots and location, but he's got good stuff. He's going to be a good college pitcher."

Victimized by the 10-run rule six days ago at Pitt County, Snow Hill scratched out the game's first run. Jordan Scott drew a lead-off walk against Cherry, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored on Hunter Chase's groundout.

Ross Warren (2-for-3) plated Ashton for the game-tying run in the second inning. Two infield errors, including one that could have led to a double play, allowed Pitt County 39 to move ahead 3-1 in the fourth.

Snow Hill climbed within 3-2 on Brandon Brown's RBI groundout in the sixth. Chase smacked a two-out, two-RBI single in the seventh to give Post 94 a 4-3 lead.

"The final score wasn't indicative of the game," Fulghum said. "We did some good things."

John Allen Conway and Lance Murray each doubled for Post 94. In addition to Chase, Brown (1-for-4) contributed a lead-off single in the second, but was stranded at third base.

First baseman Blake Taylor led the Snow Hill defense with 11 putouts and three assists. Conway, at shortstop, dished out six assists to go along with three putouts. Eight of 10 Post 94 starters recorded at least one putout or assist in the two-hour, 30-minute contest.

Pitt County 39 exited 13-3 overall and in division play.

"When you look at the league this year, everybody has that ability to friggin' jump up and bite you," Mullis said. "That's a good ball club over there. They scrap and do the things they've got to do to stay in ball games.

"They're going to hurt somebody's feelings in the playoffs. I hope we don't have to play them."

After today's journey to New Bern, Post 94 is the guest of Wilson on Monday and concludes its season at home Tuesday against Beaufort. Snow Hill is a collective 0-3 against those teams.