THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 17, 1994 TAG: 9407140186
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 58 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: EDENTON LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
In one of its best seasons ever, the Edenton Post 40 American Legion baseball team played through the second round of the state playoffs before bowing out earlier this week.
Edenton capped off a successful regular season taking first place in the league with a 2-1 win over Greenville. Cory Scott whiffed nine batters and did not allow a walk in the complete-game victory.
Post 40 played New Bern Post 24 in a best of three series and faced elimination from the playoffs after just one game. New Bern, just 5-16 coming into the game, downed Edenton 6-5 at Hicks Field in the opener. New Bern won the game in the top of the ninth when Steve White belted an RBI single with two outs.
Edenton got even with a 15-2 pounding of New Bern the next night. Post 40 had 18 hits and Scott once again shut down his opponent, allowing just two hits and punching out 11. Robert Pippen led the Edenton charge with three RBI.
Post 40 took the series the next day as Scott and John Nixon allowed just five hits in the 5-1 win. Edenton was able to scratch six hits into five runs.
Edenton resumed its grueling playoff schedule Monday night with an entertaining home game against second-round opponent Rocky Mount Post 58.
Both teams scored in the first inning. Andy Jones led off the game with a walk off Edenton starter Jonathon Geddie. He later scored on an RBI single by Jeremy Stewart. In Edenton's half of the first inning, Brian Jamison led off with a single and later scored on a groundout by Jerrell Carver.
Rocky Mount scored the next four runs of the game to take a 5-1 lead. Jeremy Ward led off the second inning with a double just under a diving Alan Lawrence in centerfield. Kenny Wilson's dribbler to shortstop Jamison scored the run. Greg Bunch and Jones both coaxed walks off Geddie. Brandon Powell followed with a bunt single to drive in a run and Brandon Powell singled in another run.
In the third inning, Jeff Swanson singled through the hole at short and later scored on a double by Joey Perry off the left field wall.
Edenton chipped away at the Rocky Mount lead. In the fourth inning, Don Williams led off the inning with a towering double off the leftfield wall. Dean Dowdy walked. Robert Pippen followed with a double down the rightfield line scoring Williams and moving Dowdy to third. Then Dowdy made a crucial baserunning blunder. Chad Miller lifted a fly ball to rightfielder Bunch, but Bunch dropped the ball. Dowdy failed to score from third on the play. No more runs scored in the fourth and Rocky Mount led 5-3.
Dowdy atoned for the baserunning mistake in the fifth when he tied the game at 5-5 with an RBI single. Williams also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Rocky Mount temporarily took the lead in the sixth on an RBI single by Jeff Swanson. Edenton knotted the game at 6-6 when Carver found the gap in left center for an RBI single.
Then the controversy started.
In the Rocky Mount eighth, Powell led off with a single off Edenton pitcher Alan Lawrence. Chris Tyndall moved the runner to second with a sacrifice bunt. Lawrence struck out Stewart, but Swanson followed with a single to center. Powell raced for the plate as Robert Pippen's throw hit catcher Dowdy on the money.
Dowdy attempted a swipe tag on Powell, which looked unsuccesful. However, the homeplate umpire called the runner out. He then reversed the call, according to Edenton assistant coach Phil Woodell, when he thought Dowdy made the tag with an empty glove. An argument ensued with Woodell being tossed from the game. The run stood, however, and Rocky Mount led 7-6.
With two outs in the Edenton ninth, Lawrence reached on an error and pinch hitter Travis Riddick reached on a walk. However, Riddick was picked off first base to end the game.
With their backs to the wall Post 40 traveled to Rocky Mount Tuesday night for the second game. Post 58 scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on an Edenton error to win 6-5. Scott went the whole game, pitching for the fourth time in a week. by CNB