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HIGH POINT – Wesleyan Christian stayed patient and stuck to its approach. Eventually it paid off in a big early-season win.
The Trojans built a sizable lead in the first two innings but had to rally in the last two to beat Charlotte Christian 8-7 in a nonconference meeting of perennial baseball powers Thursday at Wesleyan's Alumni Field.
"The resilience," Wesleyan coach Mo Blakeney said. "All we've been talking about is: visualize, dream and manifest. That's all that we've been asking our guys to do. Go home and visualize what you want to be.
"Then when you put your feet on the floor that next morning, you're going to manifest who you want to be. Our guys are manifesting their approaches of who they want to be. So I'm excited just to be a fan of it and watch it."
Jesse Covington went 3 for 3 with a home run for the Trojans (2-0), who won last year's NCISAA 4A state championship for their seventh overall title. Jack Jordan and Cole Bowman each had a hit and two RBIs, while Roddy Woodard had a hit and an RBI. Mikey Papciak chipped in an RBI.
"It was a big team win for us, especially at the start of the season," said Covington, a sophomore shortstop. "All around it was a good team win."
Wesleyan led 5-1 through two but trailed 7-5 in the middle of the sixth after the Knights, who have won 17 state titles, scored four in the fifth and three in the sixth. But the Trojans answered with a pair of runs in the sixth to tie it and walked it off in the seventh in another tight, hard-fought battle between the programs.
"We just kept the energy high and kept battling back when we got down," Covington said. "The biggest thing was just getting guys on any way possible."
Covington homered and Woodard singled in a run in the first. Bowman, who drove in two, and Jordan, who drove in one, singled in the second to put Wesleyan up four. But Charlotte Christian (3-2), keyed by a home run by Derek Vazquez in the fifth, quickly got back within reach.
A two-run single after a couple miscues in the sixth helped the Knights score three more. And suddenly the Trojans needed an answer. Wesleyan loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth and scored on an error and a walk. After a 1-2-3 top half, the Trojans drew three straight one-out walks in the seventh.
A fielder's choice tapper back to the pitcher made it two outs and brought Jordan to the plate. Jordan drew a walk on a 3-2 count to score the winning run for Wesleyan, who also beat last year's NCHSAA 4A champion TC Roberson last week to start the season.
"All we're doing is trying to make pitchers work," Blakeney said. "We're trying to work above the baseball. We're not trying to hit home runs. We're just trying to compete every pitch. We're trying to just pass along to the next guy."
Papciak got the pitching win with one inning of relief, following a strong start by Elijah Martin – four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings – and solid relief by Covington – five strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Ivan Andino took the loss for the Knights, who settled in behind Jack Beard in nearly four innings of relief.
Wesleyan, after opening PTAC play at home against Greensboro Day on Friday, will host nonconference Charlotte Latin on Monday.
"You give these kids some confidence right now, they're going to be a tough team," Blakeney said. "It's been the not knowing – going to the field without Sam Cozart, who's been here seven years; going to the field without Josh Hammond.
"Now they're like, 'OK, it's time for us to lay our mark on the program. And we're 2-0.' Last year, we didn't win our second game until the fifth game of the year. So now they can sit here and take ownership of: 'We're 2-0 right now because we've worked, we've manifested it.'"
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The Trojans built a sizable lead in the first two innings but had to rally in the last two to beat Charlotte Christian 8-7 in a nonconference meeting of perennial baseball powers Thursday at Wesleyan's Alumni Field.
"The resilience," Wesleyan coach Mo Blakeney said. "All we've been talking about is: visualize, dream and manifest. That's all that we've been asking our guys to do. Go home and visualize what you want to be.
"Then when you put your feet on the floor that next morning, you're going to manifest who you want to be. Our guys are manifesting their approaches of who they want to be. So I'm excited just to be a fan of it and watch it."
Jesse Covington went 3 for 3 with a home run for the Trojans (2-0), who won last year's NCISAA 4A state championship for their seventh overall title. Jack Jordan and Cole Bowman each had a hit and two RBIs, while Roddy Woodard had a hit and an RBI. Mikey Papciak chipped in an RBI.
"It was a big team win for us, especially at the start of the season," said Covington, a sophomore shortstop. "All around it was a good team win."
Wesleyan led 5-1 through two but trailed 7-5 in the middle of the sixth after the Knights, who have won 17 state titles, scored four in the fifth and three in the sixth. But the Trojans answered with a pair of runs in the sixth to tie it and walked it off in the seventh in another tight, hard-fought battle between the programs.
"We just kept the energy high and kept battling back when we got down," Covington said. "The biggest thing was just getting guys on any way possible."
Covington homered and Woodard singled in a run in the first. Bowman, who drove in two, and Jordan, who drove in one, singled in the second to put Wesleyan up four. But Charlotte Christian (3-2), keyed by a home run by Derek Vazquez in the fifth, quickly got back within reach.
A two-run single after a couple miscues in the sixth helped the Knights score three more. And suddenly the Trojans needed an answer. Wesleyan loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth and scored on an error and a walk. After a 1-2-3 top half, the Trojans drew three straight one-out walks in the seventh.
A fielder's choice tapper back to the pitcher made it two outs and brought Jordan to the plate. Jordan drew a walk on a 3-2 count to score the winning run for Wesleyan, who also beat last year's NCHSAA 4A champion TC Roberson last week to start the season.
"All we're doing is trying to make pitchers work," Blakeney said. "We're trying to work above the baseball. We're not trying to hit home runs. We're just trying to compete every pitch. We're trying to just pass along to the next guy."
Papciak got the pitching win with one inning of relief, following a strong start by Elijah Martin – four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings – and solid relief by Covington – five strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Ivan Andino took the loss for the Knights, who settled in behind Jack Beard in nearly four innings of relief.
Wesleyan, after opening PTAC play at home against Greensboro Day on Friday, will host nonconference Charlotte Latin on Monday.
"You give these kids some confidence right now, they're going to be a tough team," Blakeney said. "It's been the not knowing – going to the field without Sam Cozart, who's been here seven years; going to the field without Josh Hammond.
"Now they're like, 'OK, it's time for us to lay our mark on the program. And we're 2-0.' Last year, we didn't win our second game until the fifth game of the year. So now they can sit here and take ownership of: 'We're 2-0 right now because we've worked, we've manifested it.'"
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