SENIOR LEGION: Carlyle Smith throws complete-game 6-hitter

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 16, 2016 1:48 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- Who was this team?

And what happened with a squad that had experienced an up-and-down campaign thus far that included heart-breaking results on consecutive nights earlier this week?

Wayne County Post 11 head coach Jason Sherrer probably asked himself that question as he dragged the infield at Scarborough Field on Wednesday evening.

But he couldn't have been more pleased with the result. Eight starters recorded at least one hit apiece during an 11-5 triumph over long-time nemesis Kinston Post 43 in Area I East Division play.

"I don't know what it was," said Sherrer, whose team built a 7-0 advantage through three innings.

"Maybe we had a little sense of urgency knowing that the rain was coming, and that we had to get on and off the field, play hard and play quick. We carried it into the rest of the game after the rain held off."

Sherrer also got another unexpected surprise.

Right-hander Carlyle Smith (1-0) scattered six hits in a complete-game, nine-inning performance. The right-hander retired eight of the final nine batters he faced.

Just one of Kinston's runs were earned.

"The arm still feels good ... probably won't feel so good tomorrow," said Smith of his 124-pitch outing.

"I just tried to go out there tonight, throw strikes, hit my spots. That's about it. I think he (Sherrer) wanted to pull me out after the seventh, but once the eighth came around, I got into a groove."

Wayne County (6-5 overall, 4-1 East) doled out a four-run, first inning against University of Mount Olive rising sophomore Chad Ginn. The lanky right-hander hit Smith to start the game.

Ethan Chapin, Chandler Matthews, Zack Smith and Chad Spurgeon each followed with sharply-hit singles that bounced pass Ginn and rolled into center field. Smith and Spurgeon each picked up an RBI.

Josh Jernigan closed out the inning with two-out, two-RBI up the middle.

"It (the intensity) was good see," Sherrer said. "It shows that's in there (within themselves) and they've just got to execute every time."

Ginn surrendered three unearned runs in the third and another in the fourth. The 6-foot-5 alumnus from North Lenoir retired to the dugout after the fourth inning.

Post 11 put a little pressure Carlyle Smith with two costly errors in the fifth that closed the gap to 8-3. Derek Neal's RBI single capped a three-run rally for WC in the bottom of the sixth.

Kinston (1-3, 0-2) responded with two harmless seventh-inning runs.

"He should had have more (zeroes in the board), but our defense kind of let him down ... couple of errors, dropped fly ball and ball thrown away, but he pitched well," Sherrer said.

"Before every inning, I asked him how he felt. I was ready to take him out pitch-count wise in the sixth, the seventh and eighth, he said he was good. In the seventh inning, he said he felt the best all game.

"He had a quick eighth and finished out the ninth."

Smith's nine-inning performance, that included three strikeouts, saved a thin bullpen as Post 11 continues a stretch of seven games within an eight-day period. WC gets today off and returns home Friday for a contest against Area I East member Ahoskie.

Game time is 7 p.m.