GOLDEN LEAF INVITATIONAL: Saints forget to bring offense from Dudley

By Brandon Davis
Published in Sports on March 30, 2016 1:48 PM

• Print
• Email

bdavis@newsargus.com

WILSON -- Spring break isn't over.

And conference play looms around the corner.

Southern Wayne dropped a 3-1 decision to Rocky Mount on the final day of the third annual Golden Leaf Invitational. The Saints finished 2-1.

"The biggest thing was just offensively, we didn't show up," SW head coach Jackson Massey said. "Next week we go right back into conference play."

Though the Saints (4-8 overall) face Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference rival South Central next Tuesday, they saw the need for a powerful offense against the Gryphons.

After two scoreless innings, RM junior Logan Pearce scored Josh Pittman for a 1-0 lead. Pearce, in the fourth inning, brought in junior Jake Philbeck. Spencer Ramsey added a run-scoring line drive to right field, which extended the Gryphons' advantage to 3-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Saints' Hunter Barwick slapped the ball off the left-field fence. Tyler Brock raced home to give Southern Wayne its lone run of the game.

Southern Wayne attempted to score again in the sixth. Josh Jernigan doubled and was replaced by courtesy runner Cole Barwick. But Rocky Mount's defense retired the next three batters.

Jernigan kept RM off the board in the seventh and ended the game with four strikeouts.

"We were right there with them (Gryphons) the whole game," Massey said. "Josh pitched his tail off, and that was after he pitched two innings last night. He kept us in the ballgame and did everything we're supposed to do.

"We've been making strides offensively as a team -- we just totally threw that out the window today, and that's what hurt us. I'm pleased with our defense and pitching, they were big for us all tournament, but the offense didn't show up to this game."