LEGION: Wayne County completes sweep of Wilson Post 13

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on July 11, 2016 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- JP Peacock insisted he didn't script a shaky ninth inning Sunday evening.

He yielded a lead-off single, hit a batter and issued a walk to load the bases.

At that point, Peacock expected head coach Jason Sherrer to bring out the hook and send him to the dugout. Instead, Sherrer trusted Peacock to work himself out of trouble.

Third baseman Chad Spurgeon offered some assistance with a U-5-3 double play and also recorded the final out as Wayne County Post 11 polished off an 8-1 victory over Wilson Post 13 and waltzed into the Area I East Division championship series for the third straight year.

Wayne County (17-7 overall) continues play Wednesday at Pitt County in Game 1 of the division title series. The best-of-five set switches to Scarborough Field at the University of Mount Olive on Thursday.

First pitch is 7 p.m. each night.

"I was pretty calm and I had trouble with him (Nick Phillips) all night for some reason, don't know what it was," Peacock said. "It just kind of got away from me. I just tried to calm myself down. I hit the next batter, so I had to calm myself down again.

"I just kept my composure, realized I just got to go after the hitter. That's what I had been doing all night long."

In his second complete game of the season, Peacock (3-1) and catcher Derek Neal employed a three-pitch strategy -- fastball, curveball, changeup -- to keep Wilson frustrated in the box. The right-hander permitted just four base runners during the first six innings, and 11 overall.

Wilson (12-9 overall) stranded four runners in scoring position and avoided the shutout on Cedric Kirby's RBI groundout in the seventh inning. Peacock coaxed Post 13 batters into 15 fly balls, including Spurgeon's line-drive web gem in the ninth.

Post 13 hit into 10 groundouts.

"We just mixed it around the zone," Peacock said.

Wayne County built an 8-0 lead during a three-inning stretch.

Josh Jernigan delivered a two-RBI double in the third. Jared Mobley's pick-off move caught third baseman Luke Taylor off guard and opened the door for a four-run fourth.

Lee Daniels knocked in Carlyle Smith (2-for-3) for Post 11's final run in the fifth.

"I think they were looking to get outs any way they could and it backfired for them," Sherrer said Mobley's throw. "We just kept putting pressure on them."

Post 11 collected 11 hits -- two each by Daniels, Jack Casbarro, Jernigan (two RBI) and Smith. Ethan Chapin batted 3-for-5. Spurgeon and pinch-hitter Mason Watt each had one hit.

Wayne County picked up its fourth win against Wilson this season and holds a 77-52 advantage all-time over its long-time nemesis.