Post 11 - Trenton

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on May 29, 2015 1:50 PM

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DUDLEY -- It took longer for the umpires to arrive than it did for Jason Sherrer's team to put the game out of reach.

After an hour delay to start the game, Wayne County Post 11 jumped on Trenton to score six runs in the first inning and take a 16-5 seven-inning win on Thursday evening.

A day after ripping his team for a lack of intensity in a 12-1 loss to Apex, there were worries the delay might cause Sherrer's group to lose focus and come out flat yet again.

"It sounds like the umpires just forgot we had a game today so we had to wait an hour for them to show up," Sherrer said. "But that's OK. They had more intensity today than they had in the previous two games combined."

Tanner Wells crushed a two-run home run in the first inning that essentially put the game away early. It was the first home run of his baseball career.

And he probably shouldn't have swung.

"The pitch was high," he said. "I knew I had two strikes and I was trying to shorten up and put it in play hard and I just got a pitch I could drive even though it was up."

Sherrer knew the homer would be big for Wells going forward.

"He's struggled a little bit recently and you get a big hit like that in a game like this it can be a big confidence boost especially for a young guy like that," Sherrer said.

Three innings later, Wells led off the fourth inning with a solo bomb. The home run started off another six-run inning that included RBI hits from Lee Daniels (two-RBI single), Kevin Williams (RBI double) and Zack Smith (RBI single).

Post 11 had 13 hits for the game.

"I think we all hit the ball hard tonight," Wells said. "It looked like everyone was seeing the ball well."

Coy Barnett got the start on the mound. The hour delay came after Barnett had already warmed up and the lefty was forced to warm up a second time before the game started.

The third lefty starter in three days for Post 11, Barnett lasted four innings throwing 75 pitches and surrendering four runs -- all in the top of the third.

Sawyer Smith came on in relief in the fifth inning for Post 11 and pitched three innings. He battled out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh after giving up a run to close the game.

Post 11 shrugged off a two-game losing streak with the win and will continue to try and grind through its early-season schedule with six players missing due to high school baseball.

Sherrer noted the win's importance.

"It's always good to get the first win," Sherrer said. "We've gone up against some tough teams to start the season and it's tough when you're short some players, but a win like this can really help us going forward."

Smith finished with two hits including a double and two RBI. Barnett had two hits and RBI and Jack Casbarro chipped in an RBI single. Daniels drove in four runs out of the leadoff spot.

The teams meet again today in Trenton.