ECBL: Crumpler sees improvement, fight in team as season progresses

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on July 3, 2014 1:48 PM

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ALLEN ETZLER

aetzler@newsargus.com

DUDLEY -- Wesley Sanderson homered.

Austin Taylor doubled.

Southern Wayne White head coach Chuck Crumpler called time and walked out to the mound to settle down left-hander Logan Parker.

Parker retired the next three batters, the perfect example of toughness and improvement that Crumpler has wanted to see all season from his team. Unfortunately, those two characteristics don't always show up in the final score.

East Duplin handed the Saints a 15-5, five-inning loss in the Eastern Carolina Baseball League finale for both teams.

"They kept us on our toes this game," East Duplin coach Billy McGowan said. "They've definitely got a lot better this summer. Chuck (Crumpler) has done a great job with this crew. They did a lot better putting the bat on the ball in this game."

Crumpler saw more toughness and improvement, two things he was taught by his high school head coach, Doyle Whitfield, during the fifth inning.

Down 15-4, Southern Wayne strung together two hits, two walks and scored a run before hitting into a game-ending groundout.

"You saw how they fought back at the end there," Crumpler said. "After the inning they had before that giving up nine runs. They showed some toughness fighting like that."

East Duplin led 6-4 through four innings and broke open the game in the fifth. Four hits and four errors led to a nine-run outburst that put the game out of reach.

The fifth inning for East Duplin was the straw that broke the Saints' back. Southern Wayne battled East Duplin for four innings and trailed 6-4 heading into the inning.

Crumpler attributed the big inning to youth.

"Most of it is just age and development," Crumpler said. "Their bodies haven't caught up to their minds yet."

Despite the errors and good hitting by East Duplin, Parker refused to turn the ball over to Crumpler for a pitching change when he went out to the mound for another visit. He wanted to finish what he started.

"He went over 100 pitches, which is well more than I would have liked," Crumpler said. "But he wouldn't give the ball to me when I went out there. He wanted to stay in ... he showed me something tonight."

Kolby Anderson led Saints' offense with three hits and two RBI. Noah Horton added two hits and Adam Stott hit a double.

Southern Wayne finished the season with one win, but Crumpler saw more than that number shows.

"They keep getting better like this, we got some guys who are going to surprise some people and hopefully push for spots with the big boys next year," Crumpler said.