Wayne County - Pitt County - GAME 3

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on July 16, 2014 1:50 PM

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ALLEN ETZLER

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DUDLEY -- Jackson Hayes surrendered a run in a shaky, 30-pitch first inning.

But the Wayne County Post 11 right-hander knew he had to buckle down, and go deep into the ballgame to spare an overworked Post 11 staff.

Hayes responded with five shutout innings to help give Wayne County a 6-1, rain-shortened victory over Pitt County Post 39 in Game 3 of the Area I East championship series.

Post 11 leads 2-1 heading into tonight's game at Greenville.

"Jackson pitched a heck of a game," head coach Jason Sherrer said. "Shaky at the start getting behind some guys, couldn't find his offspeed pitches. Their lead-off guy was getting on just about every inning, but he dialed it in with his fastball and later was able to use his offspeed pitches better."

Hayes frequently battled out of trouble in his six-inning stint. He didn't have command of his off-speed pitches early and was forced to throw mostly fastballs. His ability to locate the fastball allowed him to skate by without much damage.

Post 39 had four hits and scored its only run on a bases-loaded balk in the first inning. Hayes allowed extra-base hits to the lead-off batters in the third and fourth innings.

But when his back was against the wall, that's when the Southeastern Community College-bound pitcher was at his best. Hayes retired six of the next seven batters in a potent Post 39 lineup that was missing Jehneil House, who homered in Game 1 and had four total hits in two games.

The game was delayed shortly before Hayes threw his first pitch of the seventh inning. After the rain refused to let up, it was later called and dubbed an official game.

Hayes finished with eight strikeouts.

After a poor performance at the plate on Monday, the Post 11 bats got hot early and chased Post 39 starter Turner Shafer from the game after 3 2/3 innings.

Ryan Faucette, who has been swinging a hot bat this series with six hits, had an RBI double as part of a three-run first inning. Faucette drove in another run with a base hit in the second inning.

Allen Coor drove in a run with a base hit in the first, and Kevin Williams had an RBI single in the third and scored twice. He finished with three hits.

The top three hitters in the lineup -- Garrett Joyner, Williams and Faucette -- had seven of Post 11's 10 hits.

"Today we were all picking up the ball better and doing a good job getting through the zone," Williams said.

But after the third inning, Post 11 struggled to put runs up against Post 39 reliever Drew Piscorik. Post 11 had six runners in scoring position against Piscorik, but couldn't get the hit to drive them in.

Wayne County left the bases loaded twice.

"We were one big hit away from a big inning," Sherrer said. "Or one passed ball away from a big inning. (Coach Rodney Harris) made a good call bringing him in. We just need to make sure we don't change what we're doing when the pitching changes."

The only player hotter than Faucette in the series is Tyler Garrett. The Post 39 lead-off man has nine hits and until the fifth inning, had only recorded one out in three playoff meetings against Post 11.

Hayes asked Sherrer how he should pitch to Garrett before he went out to the mound in the fifth. Sherrer told Hayes to stick with what he had been throwing all game -- fastballs away. Sherrer knows one player won't beat them.

And Garrett didn't.

Hayes got the left-handed Garrett to chase an outside fastball and ground out to Faucette at short.

Chad Spurgeon and Coy Barnett each had a hit for Post 11.