SENIOR LEGION: Packard caps Pitt County's comeback with walk-off grand slam

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 14, 2016 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

WINTERVILLE -- Chances to score early.

Chances to shut the door late.

Wayne County Post 11 could do neither Monday evening.

Bryant Packard crushed a grand-slam, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning as Pitt County Post 39 capped a come-from-behind, 13-11 victory in Area I East Division play.

"He hit a good pitch," WC head coach Jason Sherrer said.

Packard finished 2-for-6 with six RBI as Pitt County remained unbeaten in four East Division outings this season. Post 39 manufactured 12 hits -- seven in the eighth and ninth innings comebined -- off three Post 11 hurlers.

Six miscues didn't help WC's cause.

"When our pitchers throw strikes and force bat contact, we've got to be able to make plays behind him," WC head coach Jason Sherrer said. "If we don't, we're going to lose. There's no question.

Pitt County (7-1 overall) built a four-run advantage on five errors, five hits and three walks.

Wayne County (4-5, 2-1 East) lived in the land of missed opportunities during that same stretch. Sherrer's club stranded seven runners and batted a miserable 0 for 6 with men in scoring position.

A double-play grounder ended one threat.

Post 39 righty Matt Burne induced an inning-ending ground ball that left the bases loaded for Post 11 in the fifth. He retired six of seven batters before encountering trouble in the sixth.

WC outfielder Chandler Matthews started a 10-run outburst with a one-out single. He stole second and eventually scored on a throwing error.

That helped opened the door. Post 11 sent 13 batters to the plate and capitalized on three errors, three wild pitches and a passed ball. Jernigan delivered two hits and three RBI during the uprising, while catcher Derek Neal connected an RBI single.

"It takes us an inning or two to get going, and with the competition we're playing in conference now, especially a lot of games in a row which is a grind, if we don't take advantage of stuff early or we sit back, we may not be in the game," Sherrer said.

Post 11 extended its advantage to 11-4 in the seventh.

But Sherrer's club became passive aggressive behind middle reliever Lance Wise and closer Matt Daughtry. Two critical defensive mistakes in the ninth inning led to Packard's towering, game-ending shot that landed in the netting protecting the scoreboard in right-center field.

PC closed the gap to 11-8 through eight innings.

In the ninth, a defensive interference call helped Post 39 put runners on the corners. One run crossed before Packard dug into the batter's box.

Daughtry grooved a pitch down the middle of the plate, the left-handed Packard found the sweet spot and celebrated once his rocket shot cleared the fence. Packard was 0 for 4 until his final two at-bats.

"He's a good hitter, (had to) be careful with him," Sherrer said. "We pitched to him great today. We just made a mistake. The more mistakes we make to good players, the more it's going to show up.

"The biggest thing for me if we play hard, I think we have a different outcome in this game ... attack the ball defensively, have some good at-bats, run hard down the line ... those basic things in baseball."

Post 11 continues a string of seven games in an eight-day span today at defending Area I champ Wilson Post 13. Sherrer doesn't expect to have a full team due to the N.C. State Games, and other player obligations.

First pitch is 7 p.m. at historic Fleming Stadium.

"We'll see how we bounce back," Sherrer said.