Eastern Wayne outlasts New Hanover

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on April 17, 2008 3:08 PM

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Maybe it was the after affects of an emotional conference win on the road Tuesday evening or the late night that resulted from the trip home.

Whatever the reason, Eastern Wayne appeared to lack life and emotion as it trudged through a 4-3, non-conference win over Wilmington New Hanover on Wednesday afternoon.

The Warriors recorded just five hits, didn't score after the third inning and left 12 runners on base. Eastern Wayne left the bases loaded in the first, third and fourth innings.

"We played flat today," Warriors head coach Jabo Fulghum said. "We had no life, no intensity and no enthusiasm. We had a late night last night, but New Hanover did, too.

"A win is a win and we're not going to give it back, but we left way too many runners on."

The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a bases-loaded walk off Warriors' starter Anthony Otellio.

Eastern Wayne (14-5 overall) struck for a pair of runs in the bottom of the first on Tyler Wicks' RBI single and a bases-loaded walk.

Nolan Lancaster extended the Warriors' lead to 2-1 with an RBI double in the home half of the second. Lancaster finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base.

"Nolan had two doubles and three hits," Fulghum said. "Nolan had a good day today. We've just got to be patient."

Michael Mintz scored on Walker Gourley's bases-loaded walk in the third to cap the Warriors' scoring.

New Hanover scratched two runs in the fifth with a single, a walk and a pair of wild pitches from Otellio. Otellio earned the win, allowing three runs (all earned) with seven walks and three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

Lancaster picked up the save, tossing 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

"Nolan came in and threw the ball well for us today in the last two and a third innings," Fulghum said. "I was proud of him for doing that. Anthony battled and I don't think they got but a couple of hits."

Eastern Wayne concludes the week with an Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference contest at Wilson Beddingfield on Friday.

"We'll bounce back," Fulghum said. "We've just got to play one game at a time. There's three pieces of the puzzle left and we've got to go to Beddingfield Friday night and play well.

"We're fortunate, and I think our kids deserve to be where they are, but it's not over by any means."