American Legion playpffs: Post 11 dumps Nash County, takes series 2-0

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on July 19, 2007 1:48 PM

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ROCKY MOUNT -- One swing of the bat turned a somewhat quiet sixth inning into a riotous affair for Wayne County Post 11 on Wednesday evening.

Nolan Lancaster crushed a grand-slam home run, his first-ever in American Legion play, in a 13-1 shelling of Nash County Post 58. Wayne County captured the Area I East Division quarterfinal-round series 2-0 and earned its seventh consecutive playoff win against Post 58.

Post 11 opposes the Edenton-Pitt County 39 series winner in semifinal-round action Friday.

Leading 2-1 in the sixth, Post 58 left-hander Tyler Joyner plunked Garrett Davis on a two-strike fastball. John Wooten singled into the right center field alley and Joyner walked Will Edgerton to load the bases.

Lancaster took Joyner's first two pitches for balls and swung at a pitch outside the strike zone. Joyner missed locating a curveball and Lancaster belted the next pitch -- a fastball -- over the center field wall for his first home run of the season.

It was just the third hit allowed by Joyner.

"We got big hits with people on base when we needed them," said Post 11 skipper Brad Reaves.

Obviously rattled, Joyner didn't survive the seventh. Two hit batters and a bases-loaded throwing error produced two more Post 11 runs. Dillon Cockrell relieved Joyner and yielded an expensive two-RBI double to complete Wayne County's four-run uprising.

But Post 11 wasn't done.

Jackson Massey, a rising sophomore at Mount Olive College, spearheaded a three-run, eighth-inning surge. His single and an infield error on Walker Gourley's grounder set the table for Garrett Davis, who crushed his second home run of the postseason -- a three-run shot over the right field fence.

"(Joyner) lost his composure a little bit," said Reaves.

Not T.J. Hinson, however.

The bullying right-hander threw six quality innings and never allowed Post 58 to construct a big inning. The Lenoir Community College standout scattered seven hits and fanned five Nash County batters.

"T.J. threw strikes and gave up some hits, but he always managed to make some big pitches with people on base," said Reaves. "That's the leadership you need from those older kids."

Jay Rose and Taylor Bullard combined for three innings of scoreless, four-strikeout relief.

"Jay was good in the seventh and Bullard was absolutely lights out in the eighth," said Reaves. "He filled it up; had a little hair (on his pitches)."

Wayne County (15-4 overall) snapped a two-game losing streak on the road and collected its third win by the 10-run rule this season.

Wayne Co. 200 004 430 -- 13 8 1

Nash Co. 100 000 000 -- 1 9 3

Leading hitters -- Wayne County -- Jackson Massey 2-3; Garrett Davis 1-3, HR, 3 RBI; John Wooten 2-5, RBI; Nolan Lancaster 1-2, HR, 4 RBI; Thomas Pilkington 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI. Nash County -- Webb 2-3; Macklin 2-3, RBI.

DP -- Wayne County 1. LOB -- Wayne County 5, Nash County 11. SB -- Massey, Gurley. CS -- Edgerton. SH -- Webb, Johnson. SF -- Macklin.

IP H R ER BB SO

Wayne County

Hinson (W, 5-2) 6 7 1 0 1 5

Rose 1 2 0 0 0 1

Bullard 1 0 0 0 1 3

Nash County

Joyner (L) 6 2/3 4 10 7 5 6

Cockrell 2/3 4 3 2 0 1

Hodges 2/3 0 0 0 0 1

WP -- Rose. PB -- Pearce.