By Jim Lisk and Charles Curcio
Tuesday, July 7, 2009 — The Post 76 American Legion senior baseball squad entered Sunday’s home game needing just one more win to advance in the playoffs for the first time in several seasons.
After being denied at home on Sunday, Stanly would get a stellar performance from Ethan Austin in a 6-4 road win at Holt-Moffitt Field in Lexington Monday night.
Game Four
Holt-Moffitt Field did not hold the best memories for Stanly County starter Ethan Austin. The future Pfeiffer Falcon was injured in his first start at Lexington in the regular season.
Austin retuned to that field Monday night and put that out of his mind, striking out 11 batters as Post 76 topped Post 8 (11-11) 6-4 to win the Area III Southern Division opening-round series 3-1.
“We dropped a tough one [Sunday] and gave them some momentum. As a team, we have to dig down and find something in us to get the job done,” Austin said.
Austin worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and allowed just three earned runs over the next seven frames.
Ryne Poplin scored on an error in the first inning for Stanly (13-10), but Lexington would take the lead on Barrett Clodfelter’s solo homer in the fourth.
Jared Aman would get a double on a ground ball that skipped over first baseman Zack Burkhart to get a rally started for Stanly in the fifth.
Jordan Sells would tie the game on a sacrifice fly. Corey Dick then belted a two-run homer over the fence in left-center field, his 11th home run of the season.
Stanly added two insurance runs in the ninth off reliever Alex Grubb. Sells singled with the bases loaded and Dick drew a walk during a 10-pitch at-bat.
Bradley Love would earn the save for Post 76, allowing a solo home run to Joyce but otherwise shutting down Lexington/Davidson.
“We were loose and ready to play tonight,” Stanly head coach Terry Tucker said. “Ethan threw a great game and we were more disciplined at the plate, capitalizing on their mistakes.”
Stanly will play top-seed Rowan County Wednesday in a best-of-five series starting at 7.
Regarding the upcoming series with Rowan County , Tucker said that “I told the kids tonight that we are as good as they are. The biggest thing is that you can not make mistakes and you have to capitalize on their mistakes.”
SC 100 030 002 6 7 1
L 001 110 001 4 7 1
WP - Ethan Austin (8 IP, 3 ER, 6 hits, 3 BB, 11 K).
LP - Zach Joyce (8 IP, 3 ER, 5 hits, 1 BB, 7 K.
S - Bradley Love.
Leading Hitters: SC - Corey Dick 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI; Jordan Sells 1-3, 3 RBI. L - Zach Joyce 3-5, 2B, HR, RBI; Jordan Hudson 2-4, 2B.
Game Three
Lexington lefty Jordan Hudson went eight strong innings, striking out eight Stanly batters Sunday night in a 9-1 win .
Post 8 got all the runs they needed in the second off Ryne Poplin, who struggled with his control. A lead-off walk, a single and sacrifice fly produced the first run. Then ninth-place hitter Nick Musgrave hit a two-run homer to give Lexington a 3-0 lead.
Stanly County got one run back on Brett Brinson’s clutch two-strike liner up the middle. Lexington got three more in the top of the third and single runs in the fourth, fifth and ninth while Hudson shut down Post 76.
The biggest Stanly threat came in the seventh when Poplin singled to center and Jordan Sells executed a perfect drag bunt to open the frame. But Corey Dick flied to left and Poplin was gunned down at the plate on a strong throw from right fielder Alex Grubb. Alex Robichaud then grounded out to end the inning.
