Post 11 dominates Raleigh Post 1

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 5, 2010 11:11 PM

• Print
• Email

MOUNT OLIVE -- The offensive onslaught continues.

Only Wayne County Post 11 started its assault against Raleigh Post 1 in a different manner Friday evening.

First-year head coach Rob Watt employed small-ball tactics and Post 11 took advantage of a gracious Post 1 defense in a 15-1 triumph at Scarborough Field. Wayne County remained unbeaten in five outings this season -- all at home.

Just four pitches into the non-division affair, Will Bynum and Kevin Wise stood at second and first, respectively, after each cranked out a base knock. Tyler Edwards executed a perfect bunt down the third-base line and reached first safely on the play.

UNC Greensboro signee Cambric Moye and Adron Hollowell, who has signed with Louisburg, followed with consecutive RBI flyouts to center field. Wayne County led 2-0.

"We put them on their heels early because we played small ball a little bit," said a smiling Watt. "That kind of opened up some holes in the infield for some balls to bounce through because they were worried about the bunt.

"They gave us a little bit of room on the corners, so we took what they gave us and that kind of changed their mindset a little bit."

Wayne County struck with the same strategy in the second inning.

Robert Faucette (2-for-4) blooped a single into shallow left center field. Zack Mozingo reached when Post 1 misplayed his bunt. Matt Neal legged out a bunt single while the Raleigh defense failed to cover first base.

One out later, Kevin Wise (3-for-4, 3 RBI) slapped a two-run double down the third-base line. Edwards (4-for-5, 3 RBI) followed with a run-producing single to make it 6-0.

Edwards scampered home a wild pitch to cap the second-inning uprising.

"As soon as they changed their mindset, we started swinging away with the bats and that opened some holes for us," said Watt.

Post 11 eventually scored in five of six innings during the mercy rule-shortened affair. Neal (2 RBI) finished with two hits in the No. 9 slot. Adron Hollowell (2 RBI) and Zack Chase (RBI) delivered one hit apiece.

Wayne County averages 14.4 runs a contest and has outscored the opposition 72-14 this season.

"These guys have had good approaches (at the plate) from the start of the year," said Watt. "We're not punching out a whole lot ... putting the ball in play."

Southpaw Josh Frederick escaped a second-inning jam with back-to-back strikeouts, and permitted three hits in five innings on the mound. Working from the right side of the rubber, the Mount Olive signee logged six strikeouts and retired eight consecutive batters during one stretch.

Raleigh (0-3 overall) foiled Frederick's shutout bid on Christian Christopoulos' fifth-inning RBI single. Frederick avoided further damage by inducing an inning-ending, double-play groundout.

Frederick became the fifth different Post 11 hurler to record a victory this season.

"The kid (Josh) is a little bulldog, for sure," said Watt. "He gets out there, grinds away. I don't think he had his best feel for a breaking ball today and that's his pitch that he really likes to throw, but he has no quit and wanted to give us five innings.

"He's a kid we're going to rely quite a bit on (this season)."

Hollowell provided two innings of two-strikeout, scoreless relief.

Wayne County returns to action today at archrival Wilson Post 13. First pitch is 5 p.m. at historic Fleming Stadium.