BASEBALL: Opportunistic Saints battle from behind

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 31, 2017 9:59 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

DUDLEY -- Compete.

It's become Trae McKee's mantra each time Southern Wayne steps between the lines on the baseball diamond this season.

And after 11/2 innings Thursday afternoon, the Saints finally listened to their coach's message. At-bats became crisper, gloves and uniforms got dirtier and what started as a possible loss to a county rival slowly -- in an opportunistic way -- turned into an advantage.

Then, a win.

Southern Wayne plated three sixth-inning runs and turned back Eastern Wayne, 8-7, on the Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference scene.

"You feel fortunate to get away with a win," McKee said. "I'm proud of us for not putting our head down. We kept grinding. They're a much better club than what their record indicates.

"They made a few young mistakes that allowed us to get back in the ballgame."

Trailing 7-5, Kolby Anderson started the Saints' sixth-inning surge with a lead-off walk. Dylan Whitley moved Anderson into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

Consecutive infield errors extended the inning.

Anderson and Noah Horton each trotted home on a wild pitch. Derek Holsinger tallied the game-deciding run on a passed ball that bounced into the EW dugout.

Saints 8, Warriors 7.

"Southern Wayne is always going to hurt you," Warriors head coach Walker Gourley said. "A lead-off walk will always kill you against them. You give them extra outs, they will take advantage because they smell blood and they step on you whenever they get the opportunity.

"And that's what they did."

McKee made two calls to the bullpen in the EW seventh before Anderson, one of four SW pitchers who saw mound time, logged his first save of the season.

Anderson -- along with starter Jack Casbarro, Lance Wise and Holsinger -- combined to allow 10 hits and retire five Warriors on strikeouts. Wise earned the win.

Eastern Wayne (1-10 overall, 0-5 ECC) displayed intensity, energy and a sense of urgency during the first two innings. Tanner Wells slapped the third pitch of the game over the left center-field wall.

Jacob Ginn plated a run.

Landon Ginn swatted a two-run shot over the left center-field wall, which boosted the Warriors' lead to 5-2 after 11/2 innings.

"They've got a couple of guys who can swing it obviously ... they deposited a couple of balls in the parking lot," McKee said. "When you're behind in counts and you're trying to nibble, nibble, nibble ... we've just got to compete on the mound a little bit better, be more aggressive."

Manny Walker's two-run homer, which also landed in nearly the same spot as Wells and Ginn, knotted the game at 5-all in the bottom of the third. It was Walker's lone hit of the game against Wells, who yielded six hits in a no-decision performance.

The Warriors answered with two runs in the fourth -- Wells slid under the tag on a fielder's choice play at the plate, while Jacob Ginn knocked in Landon.

Each team went quietly in the fifth before the Saints (8-4, 4-2) staged their late-inning comeback.

"Their at-bats they were having, it put pressure on us to finish every inning, finish every hitter 1-9 (in the lineup)," Gourley said. "There were no easy outs. I really want them to think long and hard about this one. Out of every game that we've been in so far this year that was close and we had momentum, this one feels like we were closest (to a win).

"It really does."