Price throws five-hitter versus Post 94

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 28, 2007 1:48 PM

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SNOW HILL -- Embarrassed by its performance three days ago, Wayne County Post 11 discovered the perfect remedy to cure its blues -- a victory over archrival Snow Hill Post 94.

Brandon Price threw a complete-game, five-hitter in Wayne County's 6-1 triumph on the Greene Central High School diamond Wednesday evening. Post 11 improved to 8-2 overall and more importantly, 4-2 in Area I East South Division play.

"We just had a bad game," Price said of Sunday's disastrous road loss at Pitt County 39. "We wanted to come back and show what we were made of tonight. I think we did a pretty good job of it."

Price certainly did.

The Lenoir Community College signee recorded Post 11's second complete game of the season, and just the third overall during Brad Reaves' five-year tenure as head coach. Price threw a rare three-pitch inning in the fourth and retired the final 10 batters he faced.

A right-hander, Price induced 18 ground-ball outs and benefited from two inning-ending double plays.

"Brandon didn't miss the glove all night, I don't think" said Post 11 head coach Brad Reaves. "Tyler (Ham) called a super ball game. We talked about what we wanted to do with a couple of their hitters, and he remembered that.

"He remembered what the hitters did before that and Brandon threw it where he was looking. That's what I was pleased with (tonight)."

Snow Hill (8-6) endured its fourth consecutive defeat on the South Division scene. Post 94 continues to play without veteran skipper James "Rabbit" Fulghum, who was air-lifted to Charlotte on Sunday with brain complications. A team spokesman said Fulghum is being treated with medication and is listed in stable condition.

Acting Post 94 coach Derek Burress felt his team played well in some situations, but couldn't overcome three errors. Two miscues proved critical in the seventh as Post 11 tallied three back-breaking runs.

Garrett Davis (3-for-4) led off the seventh with a single off Post 94 starter and losing pitcher Drew Sowers. Right-hander Robert Tyndall, much to Burress' dismay, replaced Sowers and walked three of four batters he faced.

"I take the blame for that because we had a pitcher on the mound in a situation I didn't want him to be in," said Burress. "I wanted to keep Drew in and try to get them out."

Chad Gurley (1-for-3, 2 RBI) drew a bases-loaded walk to start the three-run uprising. The Post 94 defense misplayed a run-scoring, squeeze bunt by Alex Casey while Walker Gourley plated the final run with a groundout.

"The bunt play was a good call," admitted Burress.

Price tossed a perfect seventh, eighth and ninth inning.

"I just wanted to throw ground balls and they made the plays for me," said Price, who threw 108 pitches. "My curveball was working good and my fastball was working good late. I was pretty comfortable throwing anything tonight."

Eastern Wayne graduate Taylor Sutton, who has signed with LCC, provided Snow Hill's lone RBI with a first-inning single. Sutton produced two hits in four at-bats.

Wayne County took a 2-1 lead behind RBI efforts from Gurley and Walker Gourley in the fifth inning. Gurley pushed Post 11 ahead 3-1 with an RBI double in the sixth.

Wayne Co. 000 021 030 -- 6 9 2

Snow Hill 100 000 000 -- 1 5 3

Leading hitters -- Wayne County -- Walker Gourley 1-5, 2 RBI; Garrett Davis 3-4; Tyler Ham 1-3, 2B; Chad Gurley 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Thomas Pilkington 1-5; John Wooten 1-4; Jay Rose 1-3. Snow Hill -- Taylor Sutton 2-4, RBI; Michael Speedy 1-3; Lance Murray 1-3.

DP -- Wayne County 2, Snow Hill 1. LOB -- Wayne County 10, Snow Hill 5. SB -- Davis 2, Rose 2. SH -- Casey, H. Chase.

IP H R ER BB SO

Wayne County

Price (W, 2-0) 9 5 1 0 2 3

Snow Hill

Sowers (L) 7 9 4 4 1 8

Kennedy 1/3 0 2 1 3 1

Tyndall 1 2/3 0 0 0 2 0

WP -- Sowers 2. HBP -- by Sowers (Wooten).

T -- 2:17.