Spurgeon's late single lifts Post 11 past Ahoskie

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 5, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

DUDLEY -- Wayne County Post 11 just couldn't solve Ahoskie Post 102 hurler Hunter Peck on Thursday evening.

The Ferrum (Va.) College signee had command of his pitches, pounded the strike zone and yielded just three hits during his six-inning stint on the bump.

"I felt like he had a lot more deception than we thought he did from the batter's box," Post 11 shortstop Chad Spurgeon said. "We got up there, were taking fastballs early and getting curveballs on 0-2 counts. That messed us up ... messed me mainly.

"He was pounding the zone. We just had to hit the first-pitch fastball when we had the chance. He had a nasty curveball."

But Spurgeon delivered at the right time.

His bloop single to shallow left field drove in Kevin Williams and accounted for the game-winning run in a 4-3 triumph over Ahoskie on the Doyle Whitfield Athletic Complex. Spurgeon finished the night 2-for-4.

Wayne County had just four hits for the game.

With one out, Williams got plunked by Post 102 reliever Tyler Jones and took second on a wild pitch. One out later, Spurgeon connected on a two-strike pitch that fell between three Ahoskie defenders.

The speedy Williams crossed to make it 4-3.

"I was mainly just trying to hit the ball solid and put it in play," Spurgeon said. "God knows I didn't want to strike out three times in a row. I got a ball inside, got my hands to it quick and dropped it over the shortstop's head.

"Sometimes that will do it."

Wayne County right-hander Jack Casbarro started and permitted three runs (two earned) on eight hits and four walks. Ahoskie posted two first-inning runs and added a third run in the fourth.

Casbarro got some help from his defense during the fourth. Second baseman Lee Daniels turned an unassisted double play after catching a line-drive ball and tagging a Post 102 runner out at second. Williams gunned down a runner at third who attempted to take the base on a wild pitch to end the inning.

Down 3-1, Wayne County (5-2 overall, 2-0 Area I East) finally touched Peck in the sixth. Coy Barnett, who has hit safely in all seven Post 11 games this season, legged out an infield single.

Barnett moved up two bases on wild pitches and scored on Jordan Gurley's RBI groundout to second. Tanner Wells scrambled home on an outfield error to make it 3-3.

"As soon as we started to be a little more aggressive in the count, we started to make some things happen off of him (Peck)," first-year WC assistant coach Walker Gourley said. "We capitalized on a couple of miscues defensively ... just scrapped one out."

Tied at 3-3, Jacob Sanford got called from the bullpen to replace Casbarro on the hill. The hard-throwing right-hander retired the first nine batters he faced, including six by strikeout.

Ahoskie threatened in the ninth with runners on the corner, but Sanford caught Peck looking at a game-ending third strike.

"I just wanted to come in, put my team in a position to win the game and keep them scoring," Sanford said. "I just tried to stick with my fastball and make them put the ball in play, let my defense work behind me."

Casbarro and Peck, a senior at Southampton (Va.) Academy, each earned a no-decision. Wayne County has won 37 of 41 meetings against Ahoskie since the early 1970s.