East Wake baseball proves its worth

I got an early-bird phone call this morning from East Wake baseball coach Kerry Kincaid informing me of the kind of thing you want to hear about a team you're following — the team is still winning.

But the "boys in blue," as I have come to call them, didn't win last night's game 17-0 like they did against South Central Monday, like they have throughout the summer to various teams. 

The team overcame a 6-1 deficit to Terry Sanford last night (Tuesday), in what I think was the only real test I've seen or heard of them facing all summer. 

The phone call from Kincaid, which came it around 6:40, was indicative of a coach who had so much fun watching the game the night before he couldn't stay in his bed the next morning. He sounded like he had to get up and tell someone, and I'm glad he did.

Down 6-1, the team cut the lead to 6-3 and somehow weather permitted the game to be played in full and the game was knotted at six in the sixth.

The excitement in Kincaid's voice in saying his boys gunned-down a runner at home plate in the seventh inning, just before sending in a three-run homer to win the game was indicative of the reason people love the sport and the opportunity to coach in the first place.

Ever since the Braves ruled the world when I was a kid (less than 10 years old) and fell from their throne of southern hype year later, I must say baseball has been my least favorite sport, by far. But I think I'm starting to get into it again. I know that's easy to say when a prep team is giving its opponents the boot, but if you will look back to the spring season for just a minute, you might recall my presence over the course of an unfortunate series of events for the team — mildly put. 

The Central Carolina Scholastic summer league begins play-offs for the top two teams in each of the six divisions this coming up Wednesday. I'm pretty sure with a record of 13-0, the Warriors will be headed that way, so it would be an ideal time for you fans to go check them out.