Johnson helps Warriors squeeze past Rampants

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on March 25, 2016 1:48 PM

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jhayes@newsargus.com

The squeeze.

While not yet a lost art, it's a play that only polished ball clubs can effectively manage in a white-knuckle crisis.

Eastern Wayne did just that Thursday evening, getting a perfectly-played sacrifice from starting pitcher Brock Johnson to score the decisive run in a tightly-contested, 4-3 victory over Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference rival J.H. Rose.

The Warriors moved to 7-2 overall, 3-1 in the ECC.

It was anything but easy.

Trailing 1-0 in the third inning, Eastern botched a routine pick-off play to second base as Johnson's throw first escaped shortstop Lee Daniels, then center fielder Tanner Wells. Two Rampant base runners scored.

The gaffe was nullified, however, in the bottom half of the inning. Wells scored both Zach Smith and Daniels with a suface-to-air missile past the glove of Rose shortstop Greg Hardison.

In a blink, new life.

Such was short lived, however, as Johnson found trouble in the fourth. The righty walked Darius Nobles to open the inning, then gave up a double to right field off the bat of Rose third baseman Lanier Eveleth.

The stretch spoiled an otherwise solid outing from the sophomore, who went 3 1/3 innings, giving up just three hits and striking out four.

Enter Zach Smith.

Facing a two on, one-out dilemma, the senior removed the Warriors from trouble. He struck out Michael Crumpler and induced a fly ball to end the inning.

From there, it was throttle down.

Smith thoroughly befuddled Rose, dealing a mixture of arms-level gas and a four-year patience. His effort effectively silenced the visitors' dugout and served as the precursor to a wild sixth inning.

With the wind blowing out, sophomore Tanner Wells lofted a fly ball toward the right-field fence. It carried, then carried some more, ultimately clanging off the chain-link structure and back into play.

Amidst the confusion -- was it a homer, or was it something else -- Wells arrived at third base standing up. Carlyle Smith then doubled to score his teammate, tying the affair at 3-all.

After a Rose wild pitch, EW head coach Jabo Fulghum made the call.

"We got to third on the wild pitch," he said, "and I told Brock to expect the squeeze... just lay down a bunt for us and we can win the ball game."

The sacrifice attempt fluttered a bit, hung in the air with pause then dropped softly just right of the pitcher's mound. Smith, moving swiftly from third, scored with ease as the Warrior faithful erupted.

Eastern Wayne led 4-3.

From there, Smith ushered the visitors home, generating three routine ground balls to end the game. It was a solid victory for the Warriors, who are scheduled to compete in this weekend's Golden Leaf Invitational in Wilson.

"We kept ourselves in it," Fulghum said. "Whenever you can come back and get a win, it gives you confidence."