Eagles hand Rebels first defeat in league play this season

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 27, 2014 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

CALYPSO -- A practice dedicated to cleaning up defensive mistakes and better concentration in the batter's box gave Rosewood a huge reward Wednesday afternoon.

The Eagles cranked out four extra-base hits, committed just one error defensively and cruised past defending Carolina 1-A Conference regular-season champion North Duplin, 6-1, in cold, breezy conditions.

"This is one of the biggest games of the year already," Rosewood's Jordan Gurley said. "We took probably two steps up from Monday. We cleaned up the infield and swung the bats a whole lot better."

Gurley certainly did.

The junior utility player pounded out a game-high three hits and drove in two runs for the Eagles, who handed the Rebels (4-2 overall, 3-1 CC) their first conference loss of the season.

"I felt like I was swinging it pretty good ... seemed like a beach ball (coming up there)," grinned Gurley.

Overall, four Rosewood starters and reserve Brent Breedlove combined for eight hits and five RBI on the day. The Eagles (4-3, 3-0) also benefited from three North Duplin defensive miscues which led to a couple of unearned runs.

Senior right-hander Reed Howell flirted with a one-hit shutout through five innings. The all-conference performer pounded the strike zone with fastballs and curveballs, and coerced the Rebels into swinging at a couple of pitches in the dirt.

Ced Kornegay denied Howell's shutout bid with an RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. Blake Rhodes doubled to lead off the inning.

James Britt had the Rebels' other hit.

Howell logged eight strikeouts and walked two in a complete-game effort on the bump.

"Reed was outstanding," RHS head coach Jason King said. "He stayed in the strike zone (and) kept them off balance. He's throwing the ball well right now and I think he's got a lot of confidence."

Rosewood plated a run in each of the final five innings.

Infield errors extended the third and fourth innings, which allowed the Eagles to give Howell a two-run cushion. Gurley connected on an RBI double in the fifth to make it 3-0.

Howell supplied an RBI double in the sixth and the Eagles manufactured their final two runs on groundouts in seventh.

North Duplin southpaw Trey Pate took the mound loss in a five-inning stint. He allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and posted five strikeouts.

"We''ve played excellent so far this year defensively, but today we just had some miscommunication and the wind was a little bit of a factor that just threw us off," said ND head coach James Hobbs, whose team misplayed two outfield balls in a swirling wind that changed direction on occasion.

"That was on us ... our mistakes."