Nemesis New Bern hands Post 11 first defeat
By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 11, 2010 1:46 PM
NEW BERN -- Unbeaten no longer.
Nemesis New Bern Post 24 used one big -- but crucial inning -- to claim a 9-6 triumph over Wayne County Post 11 at Boykin Field on Thursday evening.
Wayne County suffered its first defeat in seven outings this season.
Post 24 snapped a five-game skid and captured its first Area I East South Division victory in 2010.
"We were a little bit flat tonight, for sure," said Post 11 head coach Rob Watt. "We came out, scored four runs and let the game come to us opposed to keeping the pressure on."
Post 11 touched New Bern right-hander Justin Godette for four runs during its first two at-bats. The visitors capitalized on four walks, two passed balls, two wild pitches and a hit batsman.
Zack Chase produced a first-inning RBI single. Tyler Edwards supplied a two-out, two-RBI single in the second inning after Wayne County committed a base-running mistake.
A passed ball led to a fourth run.
Wayne County hurler Eric DuBose recorded a 1-2-3 opening inning, but encountered trouble in the second. The right-hander yielded eight runs (two earned) on five hits and an uncharacteristic four walks.
An error and two passed balls helped Post 24 grab an 8-4 advantage.
"A major difference in the game," said Watt. "I think he (Eric) just lost his feel a little bit and we did have a couple of long innings (offensively) where he had to sit around. There wasn't a tempo on either side.
"He's got some guts, he really does, and it's not like he tucked his tail by any means. There were a couple of times we could have taken better care of the baseball and helped him out a little bit better."
New Bern called on Ross Leggett from the bullpen and the right-hander delivered five-plus innings of six-hit, two-run relief. Post 11 closed the gap to 9-6 on Connor Narron's RBI double and a run-scoring error during the middle innings.
Wayne County (6-1, 0-1) could get no closer.
Watt's squad left the bases loaded in the eighth and a runner aboard in the ninth. Post 24 right-hander Gray Davis earned the save with 1 2/3 innings of no-hit relief.
"We didn't do a great job with guys in scoring position, by any means," said Watt, whose team stranded 11 runners. "We had an opportunity in the eighth with the middle of order and we just didn't get that timely hit."
Edwards, Chase, Cody Davis and Zack Mozingo contributed two hits apiece in Post 11's first road loss of the season.
Wayne County returns home Sunday for a doubleheader against Pitt County Post 39, which defeated Wilson with a ninth-inning, walk-off double on Thursday evening.
First pitch is 5 p.m. at Scarborough Field.