BASEBALL: Confident Saints march to 7th win in last 8 games

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on March 27, 2017 9:59 AM

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By RUDY COGGINS

rcoggins@newsargus.com

DUDLEY -- Southern Wayne is starting to develop a competitive nature, never-quit attitude that's reflective of its head varsity baseball coach Trae McKee.

Never count the Saints out of a ballgame.

Down 4-1 through 11⁄2 innings to perennial powerhouse D.H. Conley, the Saints aptly proved McKee's hypothesis in dominating fashion Friday evening.

Disciplined on offense and defense, Southern Wayne didn't waste any opportunities that presented themselves during a rousing 19-4, mercy-rule conquest of the Vikings at the Doyle Whitfield Athletic Complex.

The confidence-building victory -- number seven in the Saints' last eight outings -- delivered a "wake-up" call to their Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference brethren.

"It all starts off with the coaching staff," said Aryc Chrisman of the team's growing self belief. "We've been grinding since day one. We haven't stopped. We know we go somewhere deep (in the postseason). We're going to keep grinding.

"Keep playing baseball like it's supposed to be played."

Southern Wayne did.

And an always-modest McKee couldn't have been more pleased.

The Saints (7-3 overall, 3-1 ECC) put up a 12-spot in the second inning and forced the Vikings to make two calls to the bullpen.

A total of 15 batters paraded to the plate for SW. Jack Casbarro, Lance Wise, Manny Walker, Matthew Stott, Kolby Anderson, Noah Horton and lead-off man Derek Holsinger each delivered RBI hits that turned a three-run deficit into an eight-run cushion.

"That's swinging the baseball bat right there," Chrisman said.

The Saints had 12 hits on the day and drew walks -- eight total -- on border-line pitches. DHC also obliged with five unearned runs on two errors.

Josh Grady deposited a grand-slam home run over the left-field fence in the third inning. That extended the Saints' lead to 17-4.

"We talk about having a good at-bat and count on the next guy, pass it to him," said McKee, whose team had 25 plate appearances during a two-inning stretch.

"(We did) that tonight, not one particular person trying to do everything, but trying to have a good at-bat."

Casbarro (3-0) started on the cliff and headed toward shortstop after he issued back-to-back walks to start the third inning. Chrisman appeared on the cliff and struck out the first batter he faced. The right-hander the coaxed Conley's David Dobson into an inning-ending double play.

"Let's go!" Chrisman shouted as he ran toward the dugout.

The Vikings threatened in the fourth, but Horton and Grady hooked up for a U-4-3 double play that ended the inning.

Chrisman polished off the run-rule decision in the fifth.

"I went up there, filled up the strike zone (and) my defense made some really good plays behind me," said Chrisman, who combined with Casbarro for a seven-hitter.

"That gave me some confidence to keep going."

And the Saints keep marching on.