Lenoir C.C. Finishes Region 10 Sweep
Bryan Hanks, Sports Editor
May 14,2006
© The Free Press

MOUNT OLIVE — The appetizers are over — now it’s time for the main course for the Lenoir Community College baseball team.

The Lancers brushed aside Southeastern Community College, 10-4, on Saturday to sweep the best-of-three Region 10 Division II playoffs at Scarborough Field on the campus of Mount Olive College.

Next up for the Lancers is a trip to Maryland next weekend for a three-team, double-elimination tournament against the champions from Maryland and New York. LCC’s first opponent and schedule in the tournament will not be known until Monday.

“This is going to be a business trip, not a joy ride up there,” LCC sophomore shortstop Jes Snyder said. “We really need to get some sleep and take every game one game at a time.”

For the second straight day, LCC’s bats were red-hot as the Lancers matched Friday’s 15-hit total. The first eight batters in the LCC lineup had at least one hit, led by Snyder and Jon Jon Mirra, who finished with three hits apiece. Chad Dawkins, Mike O’Connor and Mike Causey had two knocks each, while Airlon Vinson tripled in the game.

With his 6-for-9, six-RBIs, four-run performance in the two games of the tournament, Snyder improved his batting average to .494 (86-for-174).

“He’s been constant and consistent all year long,” said LCC coach Stony Wine of Snyder. “He’s starting to get hot with the bat and it’s at the right time.”

Dawkins stole two more bases to reach 60 on the season and 110 in his two-year LCC career. His 60 stolen bases lead the nation.

Starting catcher Joe Wade missed the game with a sprained ankle, but Wine is anticipating his return for the district playoffs.

Snyder, who was named the Region 10 Division II player of the year for the second straight season on Saturday, got the game off to a good start with a two-run home run off SCC starter Nathan Sides in the first inning. An RBI double by Mike Causey gave the Lancers a 3-0 lead after the first inning.

Sides settled down and kept the Lancers at bay until the fifth inning. LCC scored one run in each of the fifth and sixth innings and put a four-spot on the scoreboard in the seventh to pull away from the Rams, who touched LCC starter Michael Oglesby for three runs in the sixth.

The sixth was the only hiccup in an otherwise dominant performance by Oglesby, who scattered eight hits in eight innings, striking out one and walking one. Five of the hits and all three earned runs against the LCC ace came in the sixth.

The humble Oglesby refused to take credit for his performance, instead pointing to the error-free Lancers defense that turned four ESPN “Web Gem” type plays.

“The guys behind me made it pretty easy for me to do my job today,” Oglesby said. “They played great defense all day and I just tried to go up there and throw strikes.”

Oglesby has been slowly working himself back into game shape following a serious shoulder strain. In Saturday’s win, he threw 86 pitches and said he felt fine after the game.

“Coach Wine has done a great job of easing me back into it and I felt good all day, except for that one inning where I left a couple of pitches up,” Oglesby said.

Wine said, “It’s good to have (Oglesby) back and he’s going to be a key to our postseason.”

SCC had another solid day at the plate, finishing with 10 hits. The Rams (20-30) were led by Jonathan Rabon, Diego Marquez and Josh Hodges, who had two hits each.

Rams coach Joey Autry was proud of his team’s effort in the tournament but said the challenge that LCC presented was too much for SCC.

“We played them a whole lot better in the tournament than we did in the regular season,” Autry said. “But (LCC) is just so good. They’re so talented and Coach Wine has done a super job with them. They’re 43-10 and that says it all right there. They’re a super team and we wish them good luck the rest of the way.”

Bryan C. Hanks can be reached at (252) 527-3191, Ext. 250, or at bhanks@freedomenc.com. Check out Bryan’s blog at http://bhanks.enctoday.com.