Local News - March 2003

East cranks up late to edge West

TERRANCE THOMAS, LTN Staff Writer

March 5, 2003 - VALE — The East Lincoln team bus was late to Tuesday’s game at West Lincoln because of a dead battery.

But a new battery was put in and the bus cranked up and made the trip.

The East Lincoln lineup was also dead early. In the first ten at bats, no one had a hit.

But after trailing West 2-0. The East batters cranked up, scored a run in each of the last three innings to beat West 3-2 in a game called at the end of six innings because of darkness.

With a man on third in the fifth inning and trailing 2-1, East’s Adam Michael slapped a base hit to knock in the run to tie the game.

Then in the seventh, Matthew McIntosh singled to left and moved to second when West left fielder couldn’t get a handle on the ball. McIntosh went to third on Matt Cook’s wild pitch and later score on another wild pitch from Cook.

Josh Hamby, who came in for  starter Michael Rue, got out of two jams to get the win.

“It was a good comeback win,” said East coach Bruce Bolick. “West played us tough. Michael (Rue) got better as the game went on. Hamby did an excellent job. Adam Michael got a big hit for us.

“The weather has been terrible,” he said. “It’s the first time on the field for us in three weeks. But we’ll take the win.”

West had its chances late in the game. With no outs in the fifth,  Toby Lawrence singled and reached second on a bobbled ball. But Rue struck out Dylan Anthony. Bolick took Rue out because he thrown a set limit of 75 pitches.

Hamby came in and got Daniel Shronce to ground out to the catcher and struck out Brent Gates looking to end the fifth. 

In the sixth, Zach Kochler singled with one out but Hamby retired Paul Finger and Jonathon Thomas to end the game.

Hamby said his teammates backed him up.

“I had support behind me,” he said. I had good defense. My pitching was pretty good for my first time of the year.”

East didn’t allow an earned run while giving up just four hits over the six innings.

West Lincoln’s Lawrence had two hits. He scored a run as well.

As pitcher, he gave up just one earned run himself over 4 and 2/3 innings before Matt Cook came in for him.

The loss is West’s second straight in two days.

“It wasn’t bad,” said West pitching coach Sean Michael. “It was an improvement from (Monday). We made a lot better plays and the pitching was a lot better. A lot of the guys are young and they need experience. Our pitching is a work in progress. The hitting is coming around. We’ll be all right. (At) midseason, we’ll be where we need to be.”

West will host Cherryville Friday while Lincolnton will travel to East Lincoln Friday.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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