Winless New Bern stuns Wayne County Post 11

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on June 22, 2012 1:48 PM

• Print
• Email

By RUDY COGGINS

News-Argus Sports Editor

NEW BERN -- Less than 24 hours after claiming an exhausting, extra-inning walk-off win, Wayne County Post 11 found itself on the other end Wednesday evening.

New Bern Post 24 pushed across two ninth-inning runs on three defensive miscues and captured a come-from-behind, 9-8 victory at Boykin Field in an Area I East South Division contest. Post 24 halted its season-opening, five-game skid.

The roller-coaster ride continued for Wayne County, which departed a disappointing 4-4 overall and 1-1 against South Division foes.

"It shouldn't have happened," Post 11 head coach Jason Sherrer said. "It was a grind the whole game. It was up, it was down, it was good, it was bad. Luckily, we were in it and had a chance to win.

"Some things didn't go our way and that's baseball. It happens."

Six errors led to five unearned runs for Post 24.

None were more critical than the final three.

Bryant Stafford, who hurled 22⁄3 innings of six-strikeout relief, retired seven consecutive batters before pinch-hitter Matt Bowman reached on a one-out error in the ninth.

Stafford plunked Tyler Mincavage and Sean Garbarino reached on an infield error, which scored Bowman and knotted the game at 8-all. Austin Held flew out to short center field and an errant throw to the plate sailed over catcher Justin Barbour's head.

Barbour recovered, got the relay throw and Mincavage slid home underneath his tag. The umpire looked for the ball, signaled safe and set off a wild celebration outside the New Bern dugout.

"That one play didn't change the outcome of the game," Sherrer said. "We had plenty of chances early on offensively, plenty of defensive mistakes all the way to the ninth inning that cost us some runs. They got some timely hitting.

"We get a ground-ball out or double play here and there, we're fine. It was a total grind. We had guys who weren't used to playing some positions and I thought they did great."

Wayne County pounded out 11 hits, including 10 against right-handed starter Trevor Pence. Will Winslow slugged his first-ever Legion home run -- a three-run blast in the fourth inning and concluded the game 2-for-3 with five RBI.

Hunter Barnett and Tyler Gainey (RBI) provided three hits apiece. Jacob Sasser batted 2-for-3, while Cameron Taylor singled with an RBI in four official at-bats.

Post 11 stranded seven runners with two in scoring position.