WCDS right-hander Langston tosses six-hitter against Spring Creek

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 25, 2007 2:20 AM

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Trent Langston isn't known for going for the distance on the mound.

But the soft-throwing right-hander presented a strong case to become part of Wayne Country Day's starting pitching rotation Friday afternoon against Spring Creek.

Langston, in his first start of the season, scattered six hits and posted five strikeouts in the Chargers' 10-3, non-conference victory. He retired eight of 10 batters during two-plus innings, and threw a perfect third and sixth inning.

"By far, that was Trent's best game of the season," said WCDS head coach Michael Taylor. "He's thrown no more than three innings in a game the entire year. I didn't not see him doing that (today).

"Honestly, I didn't know who I was going to bring in after Trent."

Taylor didn't need to worry.

Langston threw 100-plus pitches in breezy, warm conditions and kept Spring Creek's batters guessing in the box. He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning and induced 10 ground-ball outs in the complete-game performance.

The Gators put men aboard in five of seven innings, but left five of 10 runners stranded in scoring position. They scratched for a single run in the opening inning, but didn't score again until Josh Gammon and pinch-hitter Paul Hayes each supplied an RBI in the seventh inning.

Timmy Rogers led Spring Creek with two hits in two at-bats.

"I was impressed with their pitcher," said Spring Creek head coach Heath Whitfield. "He did a good job of mixing his stuff up and throwing strikes."

Wayne Country Day pounded out 12 hits against three Gator hurlers -- starter Anthony Brogden, Ray Grady and Kevin Prunest. Brogden was victimized by two first-inning errors and eventually left in the third when he yielded three consecutive hits.

The Chargers received two-RBI singles from Kevin Herring and Sam Steed during the third-inning uprising that gave Langston plenty of working room on the mound. Grady issued a bases-loaded walk to Cameron Ford to account for the other run.

"They swung the bats better than anybody we've seen," said Whitfield. "They came up to the plate ready to hit. They were aggressive, hit the balls hard and put them in play.

"We definitely did not hit the ball hard at all."

Grady, a left-hander, settled down after Steed's two-RBI shot and retired four consecutive batters, including three strikeouts. Prunest pitched a scoreless sixth inning, but yielded three runs (two earned) in the seventh.

Eight of nine WCDS starters finished with at least one hit. Ryan Ford batted 3-for-4, while Travis Davis and Langston delivered two hits apiece. Davis is hitting .667 (6 for 9) in his last two outings combined.

The only downside, according to Taylor, was the Chargers' two-strike hitting. Four of WCDS's six strikeouts occurred with the batter watching the third strike sail by.

"I'm disappointed in our two-strike hitting right now and we're working on that every day at practice," said Taylor. "If we can hit the ball with two strikes, this team is going to get even better."

"(But) we beat a good ball club that has some quality wins. I couldn't be more prouder of the guys."

Spring Creek (7-2 overall) opens its Carolina 1-A Conference schedule at home Wednesday against Princeton. The Chargers (6-1) put their three-game win streak on the line Tuesday at Trinity Christian-Fayetteville.

Spring Creek 100 000 2 -- 3 6 3

WCDS 205 003 x -- 10 12 2

Leading hitters -- Spring Creek -- Tim Rogers 2-2; Josh Gammon 1-3, RBI. WCDS -- Sam Steed 1-4, 2 RBI; Ryan Ford 3-4, 2B; Travis Davis 2-4; Kevin Herring 1-2, 2 RBI; Trent Langston 2-3, RBI; Cory Robert 1-4, RBI.

LOB -- Spring Creek 10, WCDS 8. SB -- Herring. CS -- Brogden.

IP H R ER BB SO

Spring Creek

Brogden (L) 2 6 5 4 2 1

Grady 2 1 2 2 3 5

Prunest 2 5 3 2 0 2

WCDS

Langston (W, 1-0) 7 6 3 2 5 5

WP -- Brogden, Langston (3).

T -- 2:17.