LEGION: Wayne County Post 11 starts semifinal-round play today

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on July 8, 2016 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- The two teams have met 20 times since 2007.

Not surprisingly, neither team has the upper edge in perhaps the most-intense rivalry on the Area I East Division scene.

Expect the same tonight when Wilson Post 13 invades Scarborough Field for Game 1 in its semifinal-round division showdown with tradition-rich Wayne County Post 11.

Weather permitting, first pitch is 7 p.m.

The teams split their regular-season meetings -- one-run outcomes decided on the opponent's home diamond. Wilson escaped with 5-4 win eight days ago, which denied Post 11 the outright regular-season title and the No. 1 seed.

"It should be a good series," Post 11 head coach Jason Sherrer said. "With five games, anything is possible -- as long as this weather gets out of here."

Early-evening thunderstorms have rocked eastern North Carolina over the past few days. Should Mother Nature intervene, the teams will try again Saturday evening at the University of Mount Olive.

The five-game series must be completed by July 17.

Wayne County (14-7 overall) heads into the postseason minus its top offensive player -- Zack Smith. The Eastern Wayne grad was drafted in the 15th round (452nd overall) by the Cleveland Indians, and has also received a scholarship from the University of Charlotte.

Smith led the team in at-bats (65), total hits (29), total RBI (24), extra-base hits (seven) and walks (18). The left-handed hitter batted .446 -- one of 11 Wayne County batters who posted averages of .300 or higher during regular-season play.

Barton signee Matt Daughtry is next at .362, followed by Lee Daniels (.344) and Jack Casbarro (.339). The trio has combined for 60 hits, 35 RBI and three home runs.

"It's the 'next guy up' mentality with Zack gone," Sherrer said. "We cannot replace him, but someone needs to step up and stay within themselves."

Post 11 bats .327 as a team.

However, its Achilles' heel has been defense. Sherrer's club has recorded just two error-free games in 21 outings, and averages 4.5 defensive miscues per contest.

The bobbles have translated into 62 unearned runs.

Sherrer didn't announce his starter for tonight's opener. Right-handers Chandler Matthews and Matt Wise have combined for six wins on the bump. The duo has combined for 33 strikeouts in 55.7 innings and logged identical 2.10 earned run averages (ERA).

"We have to get solid outings out of our starters on the mound each game with (good) defense behind them," Sherrer said. "(We have to) execute small-ball situations, don't give away outs."

Wilson scored four unearned runs -- all in the seventh inning in their previous meeting.

Post 13 has emerged victorious in its last two playoff series against Post 11. Wilson swept Wayne County 2-0 in quarterfinal-round play in 2010 and won all three matchups in the division championship series a year ago.