July 2015 archives

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Friday, July 31, 2015

Dively earns clay court title

Goldsboro's Sam Dively claimed the N.C. Clay Court Championship (14s Division) contested at the Olde Providence Racquet Club in Charlotte. Dively is coached Kabiru Ibrahim and by Danny Phillips. Dively is a student at Wayne Country Da...

ECU sets up "Community Corner" for home games

ECU Media Relations GREENVILLE -- With a fan base second to none, the East Carolina University Department of Athletics has developed an initiative -- with the citizens of Greenville and Pitt County in mind -- as a way to give back...

It's near kickoff time: County teams start football season Saturday

In less than 24 hours, the 2015 high school football season officially kicks off in Wayne County and statewide. Three teams -- Charles B. Aycock, Rosewood and North Duplin -- have scheduled first-ever midnight madness practices. The Golden Falcons will...

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Summers takes over soccer program at Eastern Wayne

[email protected] Scott Summers is coming home. And the "black cleat rule" is gone. After spending the last three-plus seasons at perennial 3-A powerhouse Wilson Hunt and logging 100-plus career wins, Summers is returning to where he learned the game --...

Walnut Creek Ladies golf news

Hiromi Sueki emerged as the low gross winner during weekly tournament play contested at Walnut Creek Country Club. Linda Cannon won low net. Evelyn Rose claimed low putts....

Lane Tree Ladies golf news

Nan Jarrell secured game-of-the-week and low gross honors while playing from the red tees on the Lane Tree Golf Club links. Linda Watson captured the same accolades from the forward tees. Low net winners were Eileen Henderson (red tees)...

Wayne County Men's Amateur: Father-son duo came close to historical finish

[email protected] There was a moment during this year's Wayne County Men's Amateur championship when it looked like something special could happen. Heading into Sunday's final round at Goldsboro Municipal Golf Course, atop the leaderboard in both the Open and Senior...

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Giving back: EW's football team spends time at Community Soup Kitchen

Phil Gray loves this community. The first-year Eastern Wayne head varsity football coach knows how important his team is to many people in this town. His team understands its reputation among the community. The most pivotal lessons are learned outside...

Rosewood's Grantham to coach East All-Star girls' basketball squad in 2016

GREENSBORO -- Second-year Rosewood High head varsity girls' basketball coach Rick Grantham has been selected as the head girls' coach for the 2016 N.C. Coaches Association East All-Star team next summer. In just two seasons, Grantham has guided Rosewood...

Monday, July 27, 2015

Livin' life: Josh Stover heads to Tennessee in search of national title

By RUDY COGGINS [email protected] It sounded like a great family fun day. Everyone climbed into the truck and buckled their seat belts. Two dirt bikes were secured in the truck bed as the group headed toward Sanford. Just 71⁄2 years...

Wagner steps down as EW boys', girls' soccer coach

By RUDY COGGINS [email protected] After two-plus decades of molding the Eastern Wayne men's and women's soccer teams into perennial conference and postseason contenders, Jorg Wagner has decided to retire as the program's head coach. He announced his decision via email....

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Walnut Creek Ladies Golf news

Evelyn Rose won the State Play Day championship contested Tuesday at Walnut Creek Country Club. The SPD is sponsored by the N.C. Women's Golf Association. The format is an 18-hole, low-net handicap, stroke-play event. Hiromi Sueki claimed low gross,...

Kelam signs 13 recruits in women's lacrosse at UMO

UMO Media Relations MOUNT OLIVE -- Fourth-year University of Mount Olive head women's lacrosse coach Grant Kelam has signed 13 recruits -- 11 incoming freshmen and two junior college transfers -- to play for the Trojans next spring. The freshmen...

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Conference Carolinas: Southern Wesleyan, Emmanuel earn committee's approval

Courtesy of Conference Carolinas HIGH POINT -- The NCAA Division II membership committee announced that Southern Wesleyan University and Emmanuel (Ga.) College have each moved, respectively, to its next phase of membership in Conference Carolinas. Southern Wesleyan will compete in...

Friday, July 17, 2015

Wilson sweeps Wayne County in Area I East championship series

[email protected] DUDLEY -- Wilson Post 13 completed its sweep of Wayne County Post 13 by a 7-6 score in the Area I East Division championship series Thursday evening. The three games were decided by a total of four runs. "Losing...

Walnut Creek Ladies golf news

Penny Ritt captured low putts during play on the Walnut Creek Country Club links. Mary Morris won low net. Hiromi Sueki secured low gross....

Baseball box: Wayne County Post 11-Wilson Post 13

Wilson County 001 300 030 - 7 9 3 Wayne County 010 212 000 - 6 10 1 Leading hitters: Wilson County - Charlie Vaughn, 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Spencer Brickhouse, 2-4; Dewayne Sutton, 1-3, RBI; Jake Taylor, 0-2, RBI;...

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Post 11 on brink of elimination from postseason

Zack Smith relieved Hampton to begin the sixth inning, and Wilson County took advantage. Designated hitter Nick Sanders reached on a single to left, advanced to third on two wild pitches and scored when catcher Chase Long reached safely on...

Baseball box: Wayne County Post 11-Wilson Post 13

Wayne County 000 020 010 - 3 6 2 Wilson County 000 101 30x - 5 9 1 Leading hitters: Wilson County - Charlie Vaughn, 1-5, 2B; Spencer Brickhouse, 1-2; DJ Daniels, 1-4, RBI; Nick Sanders, 2-4, 2 RBI, Jake...

Lane Tree Golf news

Nan Jarrell emerged as the game-of-week winner while playing from the red tees on the Lane Tree Golf Club links. Mary Cotner claimed low net, while Sherry Minner seized low putts. Novella Zambelli was the game-of-the-week winner from the forward...

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Area I East finals: Post 11 drops Game 1 to Wilson Post 13

DUDLEY -- Wayne County Post 11's postseason winning streak is over. For the first time in the Area I East Division playoffs, Post 11 fell into a hole it couldn't climb out of and dropped a 4-3, 11-inning loss to...

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Area I East finals: Post 11-Wilson series begins tonight

Wayne County Post 11 continues defense of its Area I East championship at home today against bitter archrival Wilson Post 13. Weather permitting, Game 1 in the best-of-five series begins at 7 p.m. on the Doyle Whitfield Athletic Complex. Post...

Monday, July 13, 2015

2015 Wayne County Men's Amateur scores

Results from the 2015 Wayne County Men's Amateur contested Sunday afternoon at Goldsboro Municipal Golf Course. Note: First-round play was at Lane Tree Golf Club and second-round play was at Walnut Creek Country Club. NOTE: Results do not reflect complete...

2015 Wayne County Men's Amateur: Sutton wins record-tying 4th Open Division title

[email protected] Lionel Sutton cruised around the back nine and built an advantage that reached eight strokes on Sunday afternoon. "I got to thinking just try to keep it in play," Sutton said. "When you start doing that, golf goes bad....

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Wayne County Men's Amateur: Usual favorites top leaderboard after opening round

Three former Wayne County Men's Amateur golf champions concluded opening-round play atop their respective divisions on Friday afternoon. Just two strokes separated the top for golfers in Open Division play. Lionel Sutton and Hayden Gardner each posted a round...

Spurgeon, Barnett help Post 11 complete series sweep of Pitt County

[email protected] DUDLEY -- An old baseball truism says "you can never have too many pitchers." Wayne County Post 11 proved that adage true Friday evening. Chad Spurgeon and Coy Barnett, who hadn't seen any mound action during the postseason, combined...

Legion baseball: Wayne County vs. Pitt County box

Pitt County 051 000 001 -- 7 9 0 Wayne County 211 031 06x -- 14 13 3 Leading hitters: Pitt County Post 39 -- Dylan Cunningham, 1-4, RBI; Mo Blackwell, 1-3, RBI; Travis Cross, 1-4, 2 RBI; Travious Ford,...

Wayne County Men's Amateur: Joyner, Jones fade; Nick Adams in the lead

[email protected] Jeremy Joyner had a rough day. The 2014 Wayne County Men's Amateur Open champion had just shot his second consecutive 76. "I've been bad for two days," Joyner said. "I actually feel like I've hit the ball good, but...

Friday, July 10, 2015

Lane Tree LGA news

Mary Ann Sutton won game-of-the-week and low-gross honors from the regular tees and Libby Newsome claimed the same accolades while playing the forward tees on the Lane Tree Golf Club links. Nan Jarrell (regular tees) and Betty Jean Gurley (forward...

Walnut Creek LGA news

Hiromi Sueki emerged the low gross winner during second flight championship play in an Eastern League Ladies Golf tournament contested at Walnut Creek Country Club. Kathy Woodard won low putts in championship flight play. Faye Franklin and Betty Holloway...

Boxscore -- Post 11-Post 39 baseball

Wayne County 121 004 010 02 -- 11 12 3 Pitt County 000 500 400 00 -- 9 15 4 Leading hitters: Wayne County Post 11 -- Chad Spurgeon 2-4, RBI; Coy Barnett 2-6, 2B, 2 RBI; Hank Smitherman 2-6,...

Wayne County's Casbarro delivers game-winning hit in 11th inning

[email protected] WINTERVILLE -- Jack Casbarro expected one of Pitt County Post 39's middle infielders to make a play on his grounder up the middle. But when the ball bounced past the outstretched glove of second baseman Frankie Williamson into center...

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Walnut Creek Ladies Golf news

Evelyn Rose emerged as the low-gross winner during weekly play on the Walnut Creek Country Club links. Charlotte Campbell claimed low net. Penny Ritt seized low putts....

Wayne County weathers late Pitt County surge

[email protected] DUDLEY -- After Wednesday night's game against Pitt County Post 39, Wayne County Post 11's players might need an additional ice pack or two. Then again, the bumps and bruises are nothing that a win can't mend. In typical...

Area I East semifinals: Wayne County-Pitt County box

Pitt County 002 000 203 - 7 9 1 Wayne County 010 006 01x - 8 6 2 Leading Hitters: Pitt County - Clay Wilson 3-3; Mo Blackwell 2-3, 2 2B, 3 RBI; Travious Ford 2-4, 3B, 3 RBI; Southern...

Gray pleased with Warriors in 7-on-7 workouts

[email protected] Eastern Wayne held its third of five 7-on-7 summer workouts on Wednesday morning, as players got to work on executing plays and route running without pads. The Warriors competed against Corinth-Holders and Jacksonville. "Offensively, we were working on moving...

2015 Wayne County Men's Amateur: Joyner is the "hunted" in Open division

[email protected] Dane Jones uses the same approach -- steady and patient -- each time he steps onto the golf course. He watched that technique pay off for his good friend, Jeremy Joyner, who drained numerous putts on the way to...

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Sherrer: Post 11 needs to stick to gameplan in postseason

[email protected] DUDLEY -- Through the course of their six-week season, Wayne County Post 11 players developed a camaraderie that resulted in the program's second consecutive Area I East regular-season championship. But there's still untapped potential -- plenty of it, according...

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

UMO: Spots remain open in pair of baseball camps

Plenty of spots remain open for two mid-summer baseball camps at the University of Mount Olive. * A three-day instructional camp begins July 13 and is open to players ages 9- to 14-years-old. Registration begins at noon on July 13...

Post 11 opens defense of Area I East title on Wednesday

Wayne County Post 11 opens defense of its Area I East Division championship at home Wednesday against Pitt County Post 39. First pitch is 7 p.m. in Game 1 of the best-of-five series. Post 11 defeated Post 39 in four...

Saturday, July 4, 2015

UMO: A well-known baseball factory hidden in eastern North Carolina

[email protected] MOUNT OLIVE -- One of the smallest Division II schools in the nation, University of Mount Olive continues to make a name for itself on the baseball diamond. It's easy to understand why after the recent 2015 Major League...

Eight UMO students recognized as Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Athletes

UMO Media Relations MOUNT OLIVE -- Eight University of Mount Olive student-athletes have earned recognition as Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Athletes for the 2014-15 academic year, according to "Diversity: Issues in Higher Education." The publication honored Damilia Brooks, Francesca Ceppi,...

Friday, July 3, 2015

McAlduff chooses next path of football career, decides on The Apprentice School

[email protected] Luke McAlduff intended to smack a few golf balls around some of the nation's most-challenging courses as a member of the William Peace University men's golf team. McAlduff, instead, is trading in his golf clubs for a blowtorch. The...

ECBL: Wayne Country Day sweeps Bethel Christian

Wayne Country Day concluded its Eastern Carolina Baseball League campaign with a doubleheader sweep of Bethel Christian, 2-0 and 4-3, on a stormy Thursday afternoon. John Strickland belted a two-run home run in the opener. Tucker Chapin, Ethan Chapin,...

Thursday, July 2, 2015

ECBL: Gators deal Saints' three-run loss

[email protected] DUDLEY -- Signs indicating the end of the summer baseball season were everywhere at Southern Wayne on Wednesday afternoon. There was a smaller crowd and smaller teams. What should have been a doubleheader between Eastern Carolina Baseball League foes...

ECBL: Spring Creek-Southern Wayne baseball box

Spring Creek 016 000 1 -- 8 13 2 So. Wayne 200 300 0 -- 5 4 2 Leading hitters: Southern Wayne -- Josh Jernigan 0-2, RBI; Braxton Bradshaw, 2-3, 2 RBI; Alex O'Neal, 1-3; Spring Creek -- Levi Miller,...

Hoop dreams: "They've got next"

Styles Kendall waits patiently on the bench -- pulling at his socks and anxiously tapping his feet. He unties his laces then ties them again -- saying nothing as he keeps one eye on the pickup basketball game taking place...

ECBL: Pikeville Orange, Snow Hill split twinbill

SNOW HILL -- Carson Smitherman cranked out two hits and scored three runs as Pikeville Orange defeated Snow Hill, 7-2, in game one of their Eastern Carolina Baseball League doubleheader Wednesday afternoon. Snow Hill claimed the nightcap, 5-0. In...

ECBL: East Duplin @ New Hope baseball boxscores

Game 1 East Duplin 020 02 -- 4 6 1 New Hope 045 1x -- 10 10 0 Leading hitters: East Duplin -- Ethan Bostic 1-3; Trey Price 2-3; Ty Blizzard 1-2, RBI; Joe Press 1-1; Nick Maready 1-2, RBI....

ECBL: New Hope's offensive firepower shows up in regular-season finale

[email protected] New Hope finally grasped the concept of quality at-bats during its doubleheader against East Duplin on a warm, humid Wednesday evening. Too bad it was the regular-season finale. The Warriors cranked out 19 hits during their doubleheader sweep of...

Senior Legion: Area I East tournament pairings

Regular-season champion Wayne County Post 11 and Wilson Post 13 each received an opening-round bye for the 2015 Area I East Division playoffs, according to brackets finalized Wednesday evening. Play begins Sunday with two best-of-three series -- Pitt County vs....

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

ECBL: Smitherman delivers game-winning hit in bottom of 8th for Pikeville Orange

PIKEVILLE -- Carson Smitherman delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the eighth inning and lifted Pikeville Orange past Spring Creek, 1-0, at Charles Davis Field. Smitherman ended the game 2-for-2 with one RBI. Nolan Harrell, Tyler Daniels and...

ECBL: Burt mashes walk-off home run, WCDS knocks off Pikeville Green

Hunter Burt smashed a game-winning, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Wayne Country Day knocked off Pikeville Green, 6-5, in an Eastern Carolina Baseball League game Tuesday. Burt ended the day with two hits and...

Walnut Creek Ladies Golf news

Hiromi Sueki captured low gross honors during weekly play on the Walnut Creek Country Club links. Evelyn Rose and Linda Cannon claimed low net and low putts, respectively....

ECBL: Snow Hill benefits from Eastern Wayne's defensive miscues

[email protected] With the Eastern Carolina Baseball League ending Thursday, Eastern Wayne head coach Randall Fields is stressing that his team finishes strong during what has been an up-and-down season. Two of the this week's four games have been more down...