Warriors cruise through 5-plus innings, Vikings battle back to win

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 26, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Tanner Wells was on cruise control.

The Eastern Wayne left-hander held D.H. Conley scoreless and to a pair of hits in five-plus innings on the bump. His defense made four highlight-reel plays behind him, including Zack Smith's U-4-6 inning-ending double play with shortstop Lee Daniels.

Coy Barnett fueled four-run, fourth-inning uprising with a lead-off home run. Collin Nix (RBI sac fly), Carlisle Smith (RBI double) and Daniels (RBI single) aided the cause.

The Warriors appeared in command.

But the tone changed during the final two innings.

Two defensive bobbles at the plate in the sixth and Holton Ahlers' game-tying bomb over the right-field fence in the seventh helped the Vikings stage a furious 8-7 comeback win in Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference play Wednesday evening.

"We couldn't answer at the end," EW head coach Jabo Fulghum said. "I can't ask our kids for any more than what they gave us today. Two things that hurt us today was dropping two balls at home plate for two outs.

"That right there was big ... one was for the third out."

D.H. Conley (7-1 overall, 4-0 ECC) knotted the game at 4-all in the sixth. Wells, who earned the save 24 hours earlier against J.H. Rose, issued a lead-off walk and surrendered consecutive singles to Ahlers and Travis Cross before Fulghum called Brock Johnson.

The two errors at home closed the gap to 4-2. Johnson recorded a strikeout, but allowed two runners to reach. Barnett appeared in relief and yielded a game-tying, two-RBI single to Kevin Wrought -- the No. 9 batter in the lineup.

"Wells was dominant, came out there and pitched like an all-conference player tonight," DHC head coach Jason Mills said. "He has got a bright future. We always know it's going to be a battle every time we come over here.

"They helped us a little bit at the end with some walks. Ultimately, they gave us too many chances and when they did that we took advantage of them."

Eastern Wayne (5-2, 2-2) regained the lead, 7-4, in the bottom of the sixth. Nix and Smith put pressure on Conley's defense with consecutive bunts. Daniels followed with a routine fielder's choice grounder that turned into a three-base throwing error, which scored Nix and Smith.

Daniels trotted home on Andrew McKeel's base knock.

Conley answered again. Ahlers mashed his three-run homer to tie the game at 7-7 in the seventh.

"I just tried to hit a line drive," said a smiling Ahlers, who connected on a hanging breaking ball at his hands. "It was right where I wanted it to be. I knew it was (gone) when it left the bat."

The Vikings, winners of seven straight, notched the game-winning run when the Warriors' outfield miscommunicated on a shallow fly ball. It dropped between three defenders, which enabled Cal George, Whedbee's courtesy runner, to score.

"That one hurts. We squandered that one away. I'm going to give Conley credit. They never gave up," Fulghum said. "I'm not going to lose confidence in our boys because we've played good baseball. We've just to got to continue to get better every day."