LEGION: Wayne County Post 11 grinds out home win

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 19, 2016 1:47 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- Sometimes you have to grind your gears and hope you don't burn out the transmission.

Wayne County Post 11 came awfully close to doing just that Friday evening.

The starting nine logged a season-low three hits, but resorted to old-fashioned tactics that manufactured offense during a 3-1 victory over Area I East Division rival Ahoskie Post 102 at Scarborough Field.

"I can't remember the last time we've won and had three hits," WC head coach Jason Sherrer. "Luckily, we were able to capitalize when we could. Give their pitchers credit and their defense credit to keep us grounded at three (runs).

"It could have been a 2-1 ballgame."

Wayne County (7-5 overall, 5-1 East) left the bases loaded in the first and third innings, which was an omen Sherrer described as "brutal." Post 11 stranded 10 runners with five in scoring position overall.

The lone hit to produce a run was Josh Jernigan's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the first.

The next two runs were of premium quality.

Chandler Matthews pushed Post 11 ahead 2-1 on an RBI sacrifice fly in the second inning. The rising senior at Charles B. Aycock factored into Wayne County's final run two innings later.

Matthews slapped a lead-off triple that bounced off the left-center field wall. Sherrer told Matthews that he'd probably call a safety squeeze with Carlyle Smith at the plate.

"Do you want me going as soon as he bunts the ball?" Matthews asked.

Sherrer said "yeah, you're going."

Smith's bunt bounced right back to starting pitcher Jarrett Harrell, who flipped the ball to catcher Chuck Lee. Caught off guard by the direction of Smith's bunt, Matthews had to change his strategy as he approached the plate.

"I wasn't expecting to have to slide in," Matthews said.

Lee dropped the ball and WC led 3-1.

"We should have been out at the plate," Sherrer said. "It was a bad bunt. We get to second on the throw and can't score with one out."

Post 102 couldn't get its transmission out of gear, either, and put runners aboard in seven of nine innings. WC right-hander Lance Wise (3-0) wiggled out of trouble in the second, fifth and sixth innings. Ahoskie stranded two runners in each inning and ended the night a miserable 0-for-7 with men in scoring position.

Wise allowed his lone run -- an RBI sac fly to Michael Scott -- in the first inning. Backed by an error-free defense, Wise -- in his longest outing of the season -- posted zeroes on the scoreboard the rest of the way.

His longevity and ability to execute his "out" pitches saved a short-handed bullpen due to players absent for the state games. He scattered seven hits and retired five Post 102 hitters on strikeouts.

"I thought we didn't take care of the opportunities we had," Ahoskie head coach Chris Towell said. "We had first and second with nobody out in the second. We had first and second with two outs and my best hitter (Tyler Jones) up (in the fifth).

"We've been struggling hitting the ball and it was one of those nights. I thought he (Wise) did a good job."

Ahoskie threatened one more time in the ninth. But reliever Matt Daughtry coaxed pinch-hitter Slade Cowan into a rally-killing double play that eventually dropped Post 102 to 4-34 all-time against Wayne County.

It was Daughtry's first save of the season.

The teams meet again today at Ahoskie. First pitch is 5 p.m. at Hertford County High School.