LEGION: Pitt completes regular-season sweep of Post 11

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 22, 2016 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- It's becoming the same old song and dance -- on a different day -- for Wayne County Post 11 on the baseball diamond.

It just can't catch a break.

Interference by the infield umpire on two ground balls. Two bang-bang plays at second base. A dropped ball between three defensive players that led to a force out at third and squelched a potential big inning.

Four errors.

"Today was frustrating," WC head coach Jason Sherrer said after a 10-4 loss to long-time Area I East nemesis Pitt County Post 39 at Scarborough Field on Tuesday evening.

"The umpire got in the way of a ball in the infield, then he got hit by a ground ball the next inning. (That's) seven runs on outs that should have been made are frustrating. Then we throw the ball around."

An early 2-0 advantage turned into an 8-3 deficit within a three-inning stretch.

The big blows occurred in the fourth and sixth innings.

Mason Langston, who didn't play in the previous meeting, drilled a grounder toward second base that hit the umpire and ruined Post 11's chances of getting the lead runner at second base.

Pitt eventually moved ahead 4-3.

In the sixth, Wayne County's defense surrendered an error to lead-off hitter Travis Cross -- the No. 8 batter in Pitt's lineup. Consecutive singles, one that shielded by the umpire that a WC defender couldn't make a play on kept the inning intact.

A three-base throwing error pushed across two runs. Langston delivered a back-breaking two-RBI single to put league-leading Pitt County comfortably ahead 8-3.

Just two runs were earned.

"I thought we played good defense, we just killed ourselves that one inning," Sherrer said of the sixth. "The umpire getting in the way ... what are you going to do? It's locking down, not being afraid to make plays, stay aggressive and get after the ball.

"That's what we need to do."

And find some timely hitting.

Sherrer's club cranked out 15 hits, but finished 5-for-18 with runners in scoring position. WC stranded 13 men -- seven at either second or third base, and left the bases loaded in the sixth.

Lead-off batter Chandler Matthews batted 3-for-4. Zack Smith (two RBI), Derek Neal, Carlyle Smith and Josh Jernigan contributed two hits apiece.

Jack Casbarro drove in a run.

"I think they're scared to lose," Sherrer said. "They're playing not to get out, not to strike out. They're not locked in on the offensive side sometimes as far as being aggressive when they should. They kind of rush sometimes.

"(And) we didn't get the hits at the right time."

Wayne County (9-6 overall, 6-2 East) gets a two-day break before traveling to East Division newcomer Farmville on Friday. Sherrer's club visits West Craven for a doubleheader on Sunday, which begins a season-ending stretch of six games in a five-day period.