Post 11-Ahoskie series

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 3, 2013 1:47 PM

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AHOSKIE -- One series complete.

But Wayne County Post 11 still has plenty of kinks to hammer out on the baseball diamond.

Jacob Sasser mashed a pair of home runs and four Post 11 hurlers combined for a four-hitter in a 19-6, mercy-rule triumph over Area I East Division foe Ahoskie Post 102 on a breezy, hot Sunday evening.

Wayne County (7-1 overall, 2-0 East) swept the regular-season series 2-0.

"We are, still as a pitching staff, giving up too many walks ... giving them free base runners and far too many errors," Post 11 head coach Jason Sherrer said. "Obviously, we scored 19 runs ... put the ball in play and gave us a chance to score some runs. I think our defense and limiting our walks is what we need to concentrate on right now."

Ahoskie right-hander Tyler Burden issued six walks to Wayne County batters in the top of the first inning. Post 11 manufactured a 7-0 lead off of three hits, three wild pitches and two Post 102 defensive miscues.

Jamie Dove connected on a two-RBI single during the surge.

Post 102 answered.

Wayne County right-hander Jackson Hayes walked the first two batters he faced, and surrendered a single to Burden. An error extended the inning as Ahoskie closed the gap to 7-3.

Hayes retired the side on three consecutive strikeouts in the second inning and worked 4 1/3 total innings. He surrendered six runs (two earned) on four hits, walked four and struck out four in an 82-pitch outing.

"(Jackson's) pitch count was up in the fifth inning and that's due to far too many walks, too many five- or six-ball counts ... kind of struggled to find the strike zone early and battled through some long innings," Sherrer said. "He was out there a little bit too long. If he could have had some quick innings, he probably would have lasted a little longer."

Sasser, southpaw Bryant Stafford and Adam Pate combined for 2 2/3 innings of no-hit, four-strikeout relief. Pate struck out the side in the seventh.

Wayne County pulled away in the middle innings.

Sasser slugged a two-run homer in the fourth and crushed a grand slam in the sixth. The UNC Wilmington signee ended the day 2-for-4 with six RBI.

"He squared up two balls," Sherrer said. "He's finally found a groove and feeling good at the plate, seeing some pitches and he put two good swings on them."

Every Post 11 starter had at least one hit in the 2-hour, 18-minute affair. Zack Smith (three RBI) cranked out three hits. Ryan Faucette, catcher Justin Barbour (two RBI), first baseman Ashton Cox (two RBI) and Dove provided two hits apiece.

Wayne County had 16 hits overall.

Ahoskie remained winless in four outings this season.