Hit the reset button, focus on the next task. Wayne County Post 11 head coach Adam Pate delivered that message after a nail-biting, 3-2 loss to Fuquay-Varina Post 116 on Friday evening.
Post 116 swept the series 3-0 and earned a date with either Pitt County Post 39 or Kinston Post 43 in the Area I finals. Fuquay-Varina is an automatic qualifier since it’s the state tournament host, which allows two additional teams to advance.
Post 11 remains in the mix.
“Once again, I thought we played well,” Pate said. “Well doesn’t sometimes satisfy the win column, but those are two really good baseball teams. I hope people that came to the game tonight realize that.
“It sucks we’re in the same division. Luckily, there’s a [different] format this year. We still have a chance. So, we’re turning the page quickly right now.”
Pitt leads Kinston 2-0 in their best-of-five series. Game three is today and a fourth game, if necessary, is also on the docket. The winner meets Post 116 for the Area I crown.
Wayne County (28-6 overall) faces the loser in a best-of-three series, which begins next Tuesday at the C35 Complex. First pitch is 7 p.m.
In a battle between two of the state’s top-four senior Legion teams, Fuquay-Varina forged ahead 1-0 on Mac Gillespie’s lead-off home run that easily cleared the left-center field fence.
Post 11 leveled the score in the second inning.
Mason Moffett dropped a double into left field and touched the plate on Lane McLean’s base knock.
Fuquay-Varina (23-2) regained the advantage, 3-1, with a two-run fourth.
Wayne County’s quartet of hurlers — starter Sam Bass, Erik Rosas, Collin Woolard and Braeden Collins — combined to yield a series-low four hits. Bass and Collins notched two strikeouts apiece.
“I thought our pitchers did a really good job, a testament to those guys,” Pate said. “That’s a hard thing to do when you know it’s an elimination game like this. We had a plan to use anybody we needed to in any sign of trouble and our four pitchers who stepped on the mound did a good job.
“They didn’t hold back. Proud of those guys.”
Post 11 closed the gap to 3-2 in the sixth on Collins’ one-out, RBI single that plated Davis Albert. It was Collins’ lone hit of the night and his 21st RBI of the season.
Albert emerged as the offensive leader with two hits. Wyatt Lassiter, Moffett and McLean each filed one hit in the scorebook.
“Just got to get a little break, got to find a hit with somebody on base and that’s why it’s easier said than done,” Pate said. “I feel like if we had a couple of hits fall against the lefty [FV starter Ryan Morris], the score would look different.
“We lined out to third, hit a hard ball to center, hit a couple of ground balls that were out. You’ve got nothing to show for it. If all those balls turn into hits and we score five or six runs, we’re having a different conversation right now.”
Morris permitted five hits and notched two strikeouts during his five-inning stint. Chase Arrington earned the save with two innings of two-hit, two-strikeout relief.
Wayne County fell to 8-3 in games decided by two runs or fewer this season.
“When you lose a game and a series like this, you lose your confidence,” Pate said. “We’re really good whether we win or lose. We’re still a good team and that’s the confidence I want them to have going into the rest of our season.”
