Saints' Wendorf strikes out 14
By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on April 7, 2012 11:05 PM
WINTERVILLE -- With a few more big-time performances, Cody Wendorf may no longer be the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference's best-kept secret.
Wendorf pitched a complete game and recorded 14 strikeouts as Southern Wayne defeated West Carteret 6-3 on Saturday afternoon in the Pitt County Classic at South Central High School.
John Harrell's two-out RBI double in the top of the first inning gave the Patriots 1-0 lead.
The Saints answered with four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Ashton Cox and Taylor Raynor got things started with back-to-back walks. Taylor Brock provided an RBI double and Raynor scored on a West Carteret error.
Brock scored on a fielder's choice and Keith Jones' RBI single gave Southern Wayne a 4-1 lead.
"We swung it well in spots," Saints' head coach Trae McKee said. "I was pleased with the way we swung the bats today. Offensively, we've been kind of looking for a little jump start. It's good to see us get a little bit of confidence there."
The Patriots threatened with runners on second and third base and no outs in the top of the third inning. Wendorf worked out of trouble with three consecutive strikeouts. The junior left-hander sat down eight straight batters during a stretch that spanned from the third to the fifth inning.
Wendorf surrendered three runs (two earned) on five hits with two walks.
"I felt really calm on the mound," Wendorf said. "My curveball was there all day. I just had a lot of confidence. Having your team behind you is the key. We're a family and we stick together."
West Carteret used a single and a Southern Wayne error to pick up a run in the top of the sixth inning to pull within 4-2.
Jones' RBI single and Tyler Gainey's RBI double in the home half of the sixth capped the Saints' scoring. Gainey paced Southern Wayne with four hits. Jones added two hits and the Saints finished with 10 hits.
The Patriots' Joe Mason supplied an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning before Wendorf struck out the final two batters of the game.
Southern Wayne (11-5) continues play Monday with a doubleheader against D.H. Conley and Whiteville at Guy Smith Stadium in Greenville.