Wayne Christian's Foster shuts down Community

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on April 15, 2016 1:48 PM

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Gas, with integrity -- check.

Puzzling offspeed stuff, darting around the strike zone like a rogue worker bee. Big check.

Holden Foster, missing from Wayne Christian's bullpen for nearly a month, returned Thursday evening against Community Christian of Wilson.

His performance likely has the Cyclones still wishing him elsewhere.

Plagued throughout March by a fracture in the growth plate of his right wrist, the junior calmly fanned a baker's dozen and propelled the Eagles to a timely, 10-3 victory over their neighboring Carolina Christian 1-A Conference rival.

Wayne Christian now stands 5-5 on the season and 2-0 in conference play.

The Eagles' Seth Harrell, normally poised and steady on the hill, was touched early by the visitors. His two innings were victimized by a pair of bloop hits, then derailed by a passed ball on a dropped third strike -- a miscue that allowed the game's first run.

WC skipper Dustin Dupre, concerned for his ace, moved with no hesitation to mitigate his club's risk.

""He's been sick the past week," Dupre said of Harrell, "and you could tell he was struggling physically."

Enter Foster.

Facing a 2-0 deficit, the righty went to work immediately. He fanned two of three CCS batters in the third, then mowed down the side in the fourth and fifth innings. Over five frames of no-hit dealing, Foster heaved 63 pitches -- 46 of them for strikes.

The victory was his first of the season.

"He was sideline(d) for about four weeks," Dupre said, "and it's the first time we've had an opportunity to get him on the mound."

"Just as sharp as he's ever been."

And in the process, WC found much-needed life offensively.

Hitless over the first three innings, the Eagles began exercising a greater degree of patience at the plate -- and the results paid handsome dividends.

They racked up three runs on one hit in the fourth, then cut loose for a game-defining, seven-run outburst in their half of the fifth.

With the bases loaded, shortstop Hunter Burt blasted a three-RBI double to left-center field. He was followed by Mason White, who went the opposite way to plate Burt. The surge prompted a pitching change by CCS, but the WC assault waged forward.

The Eagles scored three more runs in the inning -- capped by Jaxon Anderson's RBI triple -- to open up a seven-run advantage.

On the evening, WC logged seven hits and 10 RBI.

"We focused on being selective," Dupre said of his team's mindset at the plate. "(Over the first three innings) we had hit way too many fly balls."

Wayne Christian, now with a full pitching rotation, stands atop the CCC standings. The Eagles face Terra Ceia on April 26. Community Christian (1-10) has yet to manage a league victory.