Eastern Wayne thwarts rival's upset bid

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on April 5, 2009 2:00 AM

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DUDLEY -- Give Eastern Wayne extra outs and you might as well give it the ballgame.

Perhaps no team in the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference knows this better than Southern Wayne, which surrendered another late-inning comeback to its county archrival.

The Warriors tallied three sixth-inning runs and hung on for an 8-6 victory on the Doyle Whitfield Athletic Complex baseball diamond Friday evening. Less than two weeks ago, the Saints surrendered a three-run fifth inning in New Hope.

Southern Wayne (6-7 overall, 3-3 ECC) carried a one-run advantage into the sixth inning. Eastern Wayne (10-0, 6-0) put runners on first and second with two outs.

Saints reliever Tyler Edwards got Cambric Moye to pop up to third base, but Michael Douglas was unable to come down with the baseball. Walker Gourley hustled home from second base tying the game at 6-6.

Robert Faucette followed Moye with a two-run double to left center field to give Eastern Wayne an 8-6 lead.

"We didn't quit," said Warriors head coach Jabo Fulghum. "We were very fortunate to win this ballgame. I kept telling Walker to 'come on, come on,' because the wind was blowing and you never know. Confidence wise we never got down."

The Saints never recovered and managed just one hit over the last three innings.

"You can't give that club any extra outs," said Saints head coach Trae McKee. "You know they're going to get their hits and you know they're going to score their runs. When you get an out, you've got to take it. We also didn't put a ball in play and make them make a play when the game was tight."

Josh Frederick tossed three scoreless innings in relief behind Eastern Wayne starter John Wooten and earned the win. A junior left-hander, Frederick struck out six, including all three batters in the seventh and allowed just one hit.

The Warriors trailed 6-4 in the top of the fifth before Wooten led off the inning with a double to left. He later advanced to third on Edwards' balk and scored on a wild pitch to trim the margin to 6-5.

Southern Wayne tried to extend its 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with the bases loaded and one out. Frederick coaxed Douglas into an inning-ending double play to keep his club within striking distance.

"That double play kept us in the game," said Fulghum. "That was big. Josh got some big outs for us."

Eastern Wayne visits defending 4-A state champion J.H. Rose on Tuesday. Game time is 7 p.m.