Eastern Wayne drops pivotal ECC game to Cleveland

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on April 10, 2013 1:47 PM

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Trailing Cleveland 2-0 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning, Eastern Wayne gathered in front of its dugout for a spirited huddle.

The Warriors could have used some of that intensity earlier in the ballgame.

Kodi Whitley pitched a complete game and the Rams hung on for a 2-1 victory over Eastern Wayne in an Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference baseball game Tuesday evening. A senior transfer from West Johnston, Whitley surrendered one earned run on four hits with 12 strikeouts and four walks to earn the win on the mound.

Whitley's sacrifice fly gave the Rams a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning.

Eastern Wayne (7-8 overall, 3-5 ECC) threatened with runners at first and second base and two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cleveland second baseman Alan Michael Hales made a diving catch on Brandon Johnson's line drive to end the inning.

The Warriors left the bases loaded in the home half of the fifth inning.

"We had some opportunities, but we didn't cash in," Eastern Wayne head coach Jabo Fulghum said. "I was disappointed in our effort as far as our want to be. I'm not taking anything from Kodi. He pitched a great ballgame. We looked like we were beat all game.

"We didn't get behind each other. It looked like a practice."

Cody Johnson's RBI triple extended Cleveland's lead to 2-0 in the top of the seventh inning.

Lancaster led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a double to left field. Whitley recorded back-to-back strikeouts before courtesy runner Lee Daniels scored on a passed ball. Grayson Wells reached on a dropped third strike and stole second base to put the tying run in scoring position.

Whitley struck out Tyler Huetter to end the game.

"If it was 2-1 and we give out best effort and we play the whole game with intensity like we did in the seventh inning, I'm not going to be disappointed," Fulghum said. "Yeah, I don't like to lose, but when you lay everything out on the field and play with your heart that's all I can ask for. But, we didn't play with our heart for the first six innings.

"We were timid and scared."

Lancaster allowed one earned run on two hits, walked two and struck out three to take the mound loss. Ryan Faucette supplied four innings of one-run relief.

Eastern Wayne entertains Southern Wayne on Apr. 16.