Wesleyan struggles in 10-0 loss
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer Mar 8, 2021 Updated 6 hrs ago
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian purposefully schedules games against good teams that will expose where it can improve. Wayne Country Day certainly fulfilled its role.
The Trojans struggled to get anything going offensively and couldn’t limit the damage defensively in falling 10-0 in five innings Monday against the Chargers at Wesleyan’s baseball field.
“We just didn’t compete well at the plate,” Wesleyan coach Mo Blakeney said. “This was our first time seeing a high-velocity guy — that guy’s really good. We just have some things to work on to make sure we get above the baseball. We’ve got guys who can do it. Right now we’re young — but that’s no excuse.
“At the end of the day, everyone’s going to throw their guy at us because we’re Wesleyan. So, we have to understand that’s what they’re going to do. We’re going uphill, launch angle, thinking uphill’s going to get it done against a velocity guy. So, we’ll go back to the drawing board.”
Mason Russell doubled and Justyn Steens singled for the Trojans’ lone hits against Wayne Country Day’s Garrett Moffett, a hard-throwing lefty who has signed with N.C. State. Moffett struck out nine and walked none in five innings.
Meanwhile, the Chargers’ offense tallied 13 hits — including eight for extra bases. Everett Johnson went 4 for 4 with a triple and an RBI, while Mason Moffett had a double, a home run and five RBIs for Wayne Country Day (3-0).
“They had great approaches,” Blakeney said. “That’s the thing we’ve got to start doing. These guys have to believe in the approaches that we’re giving them. At the end of the day, it’s all about executing the approach we want them to do and not trying to do it their way.
“They tried to do it their way today and they got shoved against them. So, sometimes you have to take that step back and get that humble pie right there before you open your ears up and listen. So, at the end of the day, that’s just what it is.”
Wesleyan (2-1), which was without the Cozart brothers for family reasons, tried to keep pace early. It moved a runner into scoring position in each of the first two innings but couldn’t bring them in.
The Chargers took the lead on Mason Moffett’s two-run home run in the second and raced away with seven runs on six hits in the third. They loaded the bases with no outs, drew a one-out walk and had four two-out hits — including three consecutive doubles.
Wayne Country Day, which had every player get at least one hit, tacked on one in the fourth to bring the mercy rule into effect.
Grant Aycock took the loss in 22/3 innings, striking out seven while allowing eight runs on eight hits and two walks, before Hudson Lance pitched the final 21/3 innings for Wesleyan, which looks to bounce back today at Covenant Day.
“I scheduled the season to be tough because we want to be good,” Blakeney said. “It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish anyway. So, we’re trying to make sure we’re good later on.
“So, we scheduled Wayne Country Day — we knew what they were, knew how good they were going to be. I’m not going to schedule a cupcake schedule so we can pad some winning stats then get to the end and we’re not ready to go.
“Now we’ve seen a guy like that, and now we know how to go back to the drawing board and correct the mistakes that we made.”
mlindsay@hpenews.com | 336-888-3526 | @HPEmichael
WAYNE COUNTRY DAY 10, WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN 0 (5 INN.)
WCD 027 10 — 10 13 1
WCA 000 00 — 0 2 0
WP — Garrett Moffett (5IP, 9K, 0BB, 2H, 0R, WP);
LP — Grant Aycock (2.2IP, 7K, 2BB, 8H, 8R, 8ER, WP)
Leading hitters — WCD: Everett Johnson (4-4, 3B, RBI), Mason Moffett (2-3, 2B, HR, 5RBI), Gavin Johnson (1-2, 2B, 2RBI); WCA: Mason Russell (1-2, 2B), Justyn Steens (1-2)
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer Mar 8, 2021 Updated 6 hrs ago
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian purposefully schedules games against good teams that will expose where it can improve. Wayne Country Day certainly fulfilled its role.
The Trojans struggled to get anything going offensively and couldn’t limit the damage defensively in falling 10-0 in five innings Monday against the Chargers at Wesleyan’s baseball field.
“We just didn’t compete well at the plate,” Wesleyan coach Mo Blakeney said. “This was our first time seeing a high-velocity guy — that guy’s really good. We just have some things to work on to make sure we get above the baseball. We’ve got guys who can do it. Right now we’re young — but that’s no excuse.
“At the end of the day, everyone’s going to throw their guy at us because we’re Wesleyan. So, we have to understand that’s what they’re going to do. We’re going uphill, launch angle, thinking uphill’s going to get it done against a velocity guy. So, we’ll go back to the drawing board.”
Mason Russell doubled and Justyn Steens singled for the Trojans’ lone hits against Wayne Country Day’s Garrett Moffett, a hard-throwing lefty who has signed with N.C. State. Moffett struck out nine and walked none in five innings.
Meanwhile, the Chargers’ offense tallied 13 hits — including eight for extra bases. Everett Johnson went 4 for 4 with a triple and an RBI, while Mason Moffett had a double, a home run and five RBIs for Wayne Country Day (3-0).
“They had great approaches,” Blakeney said. “That’s the thing we’ve got to start doing. These guys have to believe in the approaches that we’re giving them. At the end of the day, it’s all about executing the approach we want them to do and not trying to do it their way.
“They tried to do it their way today and they got shoved against them. So, sometimes you have to take that step back and get that humble pie right there before you open your ears up and listen. So, at the end of the day, that’s just what it is.”
Wesleyan (2-1), which was without the Cozart brothers for family reasons, tried to keep pace early. It moved a runner into scoring position in each of the first two innings but couldn’t bring them in.
The Chargers took the lead on Mason Moffett’s two-run home run in the second and raced away with seven runs on six hits in the third. They loaded the bases with no outs, drew a one-out walk and had four two-out hits — including three consecutive doubles.
Wayne Country Day, which had every player get at least one hit, tacked on one in the fourth to bring the mercy rule into effect.
Grant Aycock took the loss in 22/3 innings, striking out seven while allowing eight runs on eight hits and two walks, before Hudson Lance pitched the final 21/3 innings for Wesleyan, which looks to bounce back today at Covenant Day.
“I scheduled the season to be tough because we want to be good,” Blakeney said. “It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish anyway. So, we’re trying to make sure we’re good later on.
“So, we scheduled Wayne Country Day — we knew what they were, knew how good they were going to be. I’m not going to schedule a cupcake schedule so we can pad some winning stats then get to the end and we’re not ready to go.
“Now we’ve seen a guy like that, and now we know how to go back to the drawing board and correct the mistakes that we made.”
mlindsay@hpenews.com | 336-888-3526 | @HPEmichael
WAYNE COUNTRY DAY 10, WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN 0 (5 INN.)
WCD 027 10 — 10 13 1
WCA 000 00 — 0 2 0
WP — Garrett Moffett (5IP, 9K, 0BB, 2H, 0R, WP);
LP — Grant Aycock (2.2IP, 7K, 2BB, 8H, 8R, 8ER, WP)
Leading hitters — WCD: Everett Johnson (4-4, 3B, RBI), Mason Moffett (2-3, 2B, HR, 5RBI), Gavin Johnson (1-2, 2B, 2RBI); WCA: Mason Russell (1-2, 2B), Justyn Steens (1-2)
