BASEBALL: Learning curve continues for Warriors

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 29, 2017 9:57 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Eastern Wayne doesn't lack confidence.

The Warriors are ... well ... just young.

And with that youth comes a learning curve, one that's difficult to master with six freshmen and sophomores mixed into the starting lineup most afternoons against a challenging schedule.

"It's a tough year right now with them being so young," said D.H. Conley head baseball coach Jason Mills after his Vikings handed the Warriors a 10-2 defeat on Tuesday afternoon.

"They're going to get better and that's the thing that's scary about Eastern Wayne. Coach (Walker) Gourley is going to do a good job over here and already has. They're going to get better and better."

EW showed glimpses as first-half play winds down in the highly-competitive Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference.

The Vikings seized a 1-0 lead during their first at-bat.

Much to Gourley's pleasure, Warriors immediately answered.

Tanner Wells, the lone returning starter, trotted home on a passed ball in the bottom of the first. Jacob Ginn, a senior, plated Landon Ginn with a two-out single. Wells ended the day with three hits.

However, Gourley's squad wouldn't score again.

Three critical errors and right-hander Robbie O'Neal helped D.H. Conley (5-4 overall, 1-3 ECC) to take command. Two second-inning miscues and a third-inning bobble led to eight runs -- three earned.

"We struggled stopping the bleeding on them," Gourley said. "You leave the door open on a good team, they'll hurt you every time. They kept the pressure on us on the bases, they were having good at-bats. I think with a couple of (defensive) plays made, it would have been a little bit different there in the third.

"(We) have to have a little bit better damage control."

O'Neal dialed in and permitted just three EW batters to reach base after the first inning. The sophomore yielded five hits and retired 10 Warriors on strikeouts during his four-inning stint.

David Dobson and Cam Andrews combined for three innings of one-hit, three-strikeout relief.

Eastern Wayne (1-9, 0-4) received quality efforts from junior Nathan Bell and sophomore Ryan Sullivan. Bell departed after 2 2/3 innings. Sullivan held Conley to a single run on two hits and posted four strikeouts in an efficient 58-pitch relief appearance.

Sullivan threw 43 strikes.

"I thought they did a good job keeping the ball in the zone, staying competitive, downhill with the fastball, changing speeds when they needed to and put us in position to go back into the dugout and go to work," Gourley said.

"We just struggle with the inning after we score."

It's all part of the learning curve.