Southern Wayne first baseman Tyler McKee fields the throw on a pick-off attempt during early-inning action against West Johnston’s JV team Friday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Zack Aman, right, slides into third base, but gets tagged out by West Johnston’s defender on Friday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
From left, Southern Wayne JV infielders Omar Soler Sanchez, Zack Aman, catcher James Graham and pitcher Braxton Toler talk during a middle-inning break against West Johnston on Friday afternoon.
A West Johnston runner dives back to first base and gets tagged out by Southern Wayne’s Tyler McKee during a pickoff attempt Friday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne second baseman Logan Denning waits for the pitch during his first at-bat against West Johnston on Friday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
The umpire signals safe to the surprise of West Johnston’s first baseman after Southern Wayne’s Zack Aman legged out an infield hit Friday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne freshman center fielder Hayden Waller squares up for a bunt during his second at-bat against West Johnson during their varsity baseball tilt Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne second baseman Brayden McKee, left, fires the throw to first in an attempt complete a double play against West Johnston on Friday evening. The Saints defeated the Wildcats, 9-2. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Tyler Odom, left, has trouble fielding this high throw at first base. West Johnston’s Brayden Sanders was called safe on the play. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne right-hander Drew Sweet tossed his first complete game of the season during a much-needed, 9-2 triumph over Quad County 3A varsity baseball rival West Johnston on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne catcher James Graham, left, dives back to second base on a pick-off attempt during JV action against West Johnston. The Wildcats won, 4-1. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Armed with umbrellas to protect them from the sun, Southern Wayne parents and friends watch the JV game against West Johnston on Friday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Drew Sweet, left, gets a salute from teammate Jake Coates during pre-game introductions before Friday’s home game against West Johnston. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne left-hander Braxton Toler works against West Johnston during their JV game Friday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Zack Aman, left, lets a ground ball slip away from him while a West Johnston runner heads toward third base. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Hayden Waller gets his fingers stretched before Friday’s pivotal Quad County 3A baseball outing against West Johnston. The Saints won, 9-2. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne junior catcher Alex Ferrell celebrates after cranking out a first-inning double against West Johnston on Friday afternoon. Ferrell’s extra-base knock highlighted a five-run outburst that gave the Saints a lead they would never relinquish. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne head coach Trae McKee, left, celebrates with Drew Sweet after the junior belted his second home run of the season Friday evening. Sweet’s two-run blast easily cleared the right center-field wall. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Tyler Odom fields the high throw and his toe drags the bag before West Johnston’s Dean Cappelletti attempts to reach safely on a bunt attempt Friday evening. Cappelletti was called out, which caused a short conference between the Wildcats’ head coach and two umpires. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Jake Coates slides home safely after scoring a third-inning run on an infield error Friday evening. The Saints improved to 6-4 in Quad County 3A play heading into next Tuesday’s contest at league-leading Hunt.
Southern Wayne’s Tyler Odom waits during first-inning action against West Johnston on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
DUDLEY — Trae McKee intended to call upon Southern Wayne’s bullpen in the seventh inning Friday evening.
Drew Sweet didn’t like it.
“I want the ball,” he told McKee.
“He wanted to beat this team,” McKee said.
Sweet sought revenge, too.
The junior right-hander tossed his first complete game of the season and helped secure a 9-2 triumph over Quad County 3A foe West Johnston. Sweet (7-2) surrendered an unearned run on nine hits and retired six Wildcats on strikeouts.
West won the previous meeting, 6-2.
“We know that when Drew is out there, he’s a bulldog on the mound and gives us everything we want out of him,” McKee said. “When he has the ball in his hand, he wants to beat a team.”
The Wildcats collected an unearnedrun during their first at-bat.
Though the defensive miscue deflated Sweet and frustrated his teammates, the Saints bounced back in the bottom of the first.
Sweet lifted his own spirits with a two-RBI home run that sailed over the right center-field fence. His second round-tripper of the season spearheaded a five-run, confidence-building outburst.
“He’s an emotional player, wears it on his sleeve sometimes and can get fired up [from it] sometimes,” McKee said of Sweet. “To respond the way he did after the first [inning], when we did kick it around a little,was really good. A lot of guys could say ‘my defense is not going to be behind me tonight,’ but he kept working.”
West continued to put pressure on the SW defense. The Wildcats cranked out eight more hits over the next six innings, but stranded nine runners on base — 10 for the game.
Two bang-bang defensive plays — a toe-tag at first base and a close play at the dish in the same inning stopped West.
Tyler Odom stretched to catch a throw from catcher Alex Ferrell on a bunt attempt down the first-base line. His toe dragged the bag milliseconds before the Wildcats’ Dean Cappelletti touched it.
Ferrell tagged out a Wildcat runner on a beautiful relay throw from center fielder Hayden Waller. The junior ended the night with eight putouts and eight assists.
“We didn’t get an out in certain situations the last game against them, but this time we made sure we didn’t let the wheels fall off,” McKee said. “The only one who had the chance to make a play like that was Alex. The way he attacked the ball, and Tyler did a great job grabbing the ball.
“Hayden throwing [the] runner out at the plate … any outfield assist in high school is huge. He made some unbelievable catches in center field [tonight].”
The Saints tallied two third-inning runs on a bases-loaded, RBI walk to Brayden McKee and an infield error. They tacked on two more in the bottom of the sixth to seal their third consecutive win.
Cuyler Daly (two RBI) and Jack Coates (two RBI) supplied two hits apiece. Sweet, Tyler Odom (RBI), Ferrell, Dylan Daniels and Waller each contributed one hit.
Southern Wayne (12-5 overall, 6-4 QCC) begins a two-game, QCC road swing Tuesday at league-leading Hunt and is the guest of South Johnston on Thursday. Each contest follows the JV game.
