Wayne County overcomes game two errors

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on July 27, 2008 11:10 AM

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NEW BERN -- Wayne County Post 11 moved within one victory of earning its second consecutive trip to the American Legion state tournament.

Post 11 capitalized on a sixth-inning RBI groundout and passed ball, and claimed a 3-2 decision over New Bern Post 24 at Boykin Field on Friday evening. With the win, Wayne County took a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five, Area I East Division championship series.

And again, Post 11 countered Post 24's pitching staff with a strong outing of its own. Adron Hollowell (4-1) scattered six hits and permitted two earned runs in seven innings of work. Jay Rose supplied two innings of one-hit, three-strikeout relief for his second save in the postseason.

Meanwhile, New Bern's Greg Davis threw a complete-game five-hitter. But two errors led to two unearned runs and Post 24's first-ever, division-title bid took a major hit.

"I hate to see either pitcher lose," said Post 11 coach Brad Reaves. "It was an ugly game. Each team seemed to be playing to give it away."

Gabe Brown's lead-off double in the second inning ignited a short, two-run rally. Matt Hardeman's single put runners on the corner and Brown trotted home on Cam Holton's bloop to shallow center field.

Catcher Zach Wright picked Holton off at first base to stop the surge. Shortstop Walker Gourley dove for Eric Kosco's grounder, and while on his knees, gunned Kosco down at first base.

But Rod Sawyer connected on a 2-0 fastball to score Hardeman.

Held scoreless through four innings, Post 11 avoided the shutout in the fifth inning. Nolan Lancaster legged out an infield single and moved into scoring position on Bryant Hill's bunt.

Lancaster stole third and scampered home on Alex Casey's groundout.

Wayne County (21-5 overall) claimed the lead for good in the next inning. John Wooten beat out an infield single and stayed alive when Post 24's defense misplayed Rose's ground ball, which wound up underneath the tarp in dead-ball territory.

Wright drove in Wooten with a groundout to short and Rose raced home on a passed ball to put Post 11 ahead 3-2.

Despite two seventh-inning errors, Hollowell protected his precarious one-run advantage. With runners aboard, Hollowell notched a strikeout and back-to-back groundouts to conclude the inning.

Rose encountered little trouble.