AYDEN — Solid pitching, hard hitting, aggressive base running. This was the team South Lenoir coach David Combs envisioned when he took over the program this season.
The Blue Devils used all three ingredients to down Farmville Central, 4-2, Tuesday night at the Ray Avery Easter Tournament being played at Ayden-Grifton High School.
“This is the style we like to play,” Combs said. “We like to keep the pressure on and force the other team into mistakes. We like to make them hurt.”
South Lenoir (5-6) did just that against the Jaguars.
Wyatt Janning and Garrett Holland combined on a four-hitter, Holland slammed a homer, and the Blue Devils stole two runs with some devil-may-care work on the base paths.
South Lenoir broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth with some of that nifty footwork. With two outs and runner Will Graves at first following a base hit, Grant Tyndall laced a single to center that advanced Graves to third.
However, Tyndall never stopped running and coerced the Jaguars into a rundown between first and second. Not only did Tyndall make it safely back to first, but Graves scored easily without a play at the plate.
It was more of the same in the sixth as Noah Stroud scored from first when Graves grounded to short and Farmville fielder Jake Ashorn threw wildly to first.
Graves advanced to second and Stroud stunned the Jaguars by not holding up at third. He, too, scored without a play.
“We’ve been struggling offensively lately so we need to make things happen,” Combs said. “Tonight we were assertive and alert on the bases.”
South Lenoir also stole six bases as a team while being caught just once.
Holland’s solo homer leading off the seventh was the first round tripper of the entire tournament and gave the Devils a 4-1 lead.
Although South Lenoir managed just six hits itself by six different players, it made quite a few loud outs.
“We hit the ball hard and put it in play,” Combs said. “We also played with a lot more enthusiasm than we did Saturday (a 6-2 loss to Pamlico). Our approach at the plate was much better.”
Janning tossed five innings for the win, fanning six. Holland finished up the final two frames to earn the save.
Janning worked out of a second and third with one out jam in the sixth by striking out the next two batters.
“Both pitchers threw the ball well and made some clutch pitches when we needed them,” Combs said.
South Lenoir 010 101 0—4 6 1
Farmville Central 001 000 1—2 4 3
Janning, Holland (6) and Davis; Wright and Riggs. W—Janning. L—Wright. Sv—Holland.