WCDS drops affair against CPIC opponents

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 3, 2016 1:49 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Each time Freedom Christian batters connected on a backside pitch, Wayne Country Day outfielders Jacob Magera and Zac Barfield raced toward the right-field fence.

Each time, Magera and Barfield helplessly watched the ball land in the trees. The Patriots swatted four home runs -- all to the Chargers' "short porch" -- during an 11-3 victory in Coastal Plains Independent 1-A/2-A Conference play on a breezy, overcast Monday afternoon.

"When the game was over, I told the guys that the right-field fence can either help us or it can hurt us," WCDS head coach Michael Taylor said. "Today, it hurt us. In any other ballpark, they are routine fly balls. We just got unlucky right there."

The Chargers, also, couldn't get the timely hit.

Taylor's club left the bases loaded in the second and fourth innings, and stranded seven runners in scoring position overall. WCDS managed to hit a paltry 3-for-12 in those situations.

It was a far cry from the previous meeting against FCA and last week's win over county rival Wayne Christian. The Chargers plated a total of 21 runs in those two outings.

"We couldn't get that hit early in the game to help get things started for us offensively," Taylor said. "We have to produce with runners in scoring potion."

FCA seized a 1-0 lead on Dylan Bacot's solo blast in the top half of the second inning. WCDS moved in front 2-1 on Drew Barnes' bases-loaded RBI walk and Mitch Turnage's first of two RBI singles on the afternoon.

The Patriots (13-9 overall) regained the lead 3-2 on another Bacot home run in the sixth. But the Chargers responded with a gritty effort in their half of the inning and producing the game-tying run on Turnage's two-out infield hit.

"Big hit by Mitch," Taylor said.

The celebration quickly ended.

Freedom pushed across eight runs, including homers by Connor Williams and Andrew Bolton. Two infield errors left the door open for the Patriots.

"Their bats woke up and they started hitting the ball. I tip my hat to them. I bet they scored seven or eight runs off home runs," Taylor said. "I thought John (Strickland) pitched well enough to win the ballgame. Things just didn't go our way."

The loss spoiled the regular-season finale for three WCDS seniors -- Patrick Hall, Jacob Magera and Parker Smith. The trio helped lead the Chargers to the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A state soccer title -- the first in program history -- last fall.

Taylor apologized to the seniors.

Then he told his team to forget the loss, focus on Tuesday's practice and begin preparation for Friday -- a showdown against defending independent 1-A state champion Greenfield.

"We have to treat Friday night like it's a playoff game for us," Taylor said. "It will affect our seeding in the playoffs."