Warrior baseball team continues to search for identity

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on March 20, 2010 11:06 PM

• Print
• Email

With the start of Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference play right around the corner, Eastern Wayne is desperately searching for some answers..

The Warriors' early-season struggles continued with a 14-9, non-conference loss to Wilson Hunt on Saturday afternoon in New Hope.

Trailing 14-6 entering the bottom of the seventh, Eastern Wayne pushed across three runs and had the bases loaded with two outs. Hunt reliever Deion Doubledee struck out Zach Beachem looking to end the ballgame.

Hunt tallied 15 hits, scored in five of the seven innings and struck out just once.

"We're trying to fight and claw and do everything we can," said Eastern Wayne head coach Jabo Fulghum. "We're trying to find ourselves. We haven't found ourselves yet. The bad thing is we haven't found ourselves and conference play is coming up on Tuesday."

Leading 7-4, Hunt broke the ballgame open with seven runs in the top of the sixth. Hunt sent 12 batters to the plate during the outburst, collected six hits, hit three homers and walked three times.

"I'm just hoping being through some adversity helps sometimes," said Fulghum. "I'm sure it does as long as you grow from it. We're struggling right now. We've got to have some people step it up. The bottom line is we don't have anybody to take charge right now."

Zach Houchin's sacrifice fly and Kyle Pittman's solo home run gave Hunt a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Eastern Wayne answered with Zach Beachem's sac fly and Logan Wicks' RBI single in the home half of the first.

Back-to-back home runs by Jacob Page and Avery Harper gave Hunt the lead for good in the top of the second.

Michael Fields' RBI groundout in the bottom of the third pulled Eastern Wayne to within 4-3.

Sam Strickland's RBI double, Seth Wiggs' sac fly and Page's RBI double stretched the lead to 7-4 in the top of the fifth. Fields' RBI single in the home half of the fifth cut the deficit to 7-4.

Colton Fulghum provided a sac fly in the bottom of the sixth. Cambric Moye's RBI single sliced the deficit to 14-6.

Eastern Wayne opens ECC play at home Tuesday against league newcomer South Johnston.