Saturday, July 10, 2010

Post 58 rallies with wild ninth inning

If Edenton Post 40 head coach Bob Jordan had been a little more patient in the bottom of the ninth Friday night, Rocky Mount Post 58 would likely be heading to its game two meeting with Post 40 in the semifinals of the American Legion Area I East semis down 0-1.

As it was, up 5-0, Jordan lifted starter Chad Whitehead, who gave up two singles with one out in the frame, for Daniel Oliver.

The two former Lawrence Academy stars, who both clouted home runs to give Post 40 its seemingly insurmountable lead, would see their fine efforts on the night go by the wayside.

That ptiching move opened the door for the unbelievable.

Post 58 would crank out four more hits and bring eight more batters to the plate for an astounding 6-5 victory over Edenton. T.J. Joyner's two-run single brought in Spencer Bell and Mike Smith for the tying and winning runs.

Four of Post 58's runs came with two outs - incredible!

Now, what Post 40 team will show up Saturday? It will rely on pitcher Austin Cooke to get to it to game three Sunday. I honestly don't think, however, that Post 40 has the depth of pitching to dig out of the hole it fell into Friday.

Post 58 has won four straight over Edenton this season - and Saturday might make it five consecutive.

On the other side of the Area I East bracket in Kinston Friday, Wilson Post 13 fell to Kinston Post 43 11-6 in their semifinal series opener. Kinston rallied from being down 4-0 at one point.

Kinston's players had heavy hearts, however, as their teammate Taylor Humphrey (South Lenoir) and his younger sister died in a single-car wreck in Georgia earlier in the week during a family trip to Florida. The mother, father and a sister survived the accident.

Several Post 43 players will be pallbearers for the two Saturday before playing game 2 in Wilson that evening.