By DAN BISER
Sports Editor

With losses in its first three games, the Whiteville Post 137 American Legion baseball team will try to get on the winning track tonight at 7 when it entertains Stedman Post 62 in an Area 2-West League game at Legion Stadium.

Coach Brett Harwood’s squad was scheduled to play a pair of games Sunday in Wilmington against Duplin County and Jupiter, Fla., but they were canceled by rain.

On Friday, Post 137 traveled to Laurinburg and lost to Scotland County Post 50 by a 15-6 scored. On Thursday, Post 137 opened its home schedule with a 6-4 loss to Fayetteville Post 4 in 11 innings, and on Wednesday it suffered a 14-4 season-opening road loss to Hamlet Post 49.

“This thing isn’t a sprint … it’s working your way up and putting yourself into position for a league playoff spot,” Harwood said. “Traditionally, Post 137 has never had a particularly strong start because it takes a while to bring players from several different high school programs together.

“We need to start turning the corner soon, but I think we’ll be okay,” Harwood said. “We have yet to have the amount of practice time we need, but that will come,”

On Wednesday, Whiteville Post 137 will travel to take on Hope Mills at 7, and it will return to Cumberland County on Thursday for a rematch with Fayetteville Post 4 at 7.

On Sunday, Whiteville will entertain longtime North Carolina American Legion powerhouse Caldwell County in a 4 p.m., doubleheader.

FRIDAY
Scotland County 15
Whiteville 6

Robbie Penny pitched 6-1/3 innings before leaving the mound with Post 137 trailing the host Scotland County squad 6-5.

Blake Sykes, Jonathan Benson and John Sweeney pitched in relief

Donovan Watts hit a two-run homer and Charlie Gore knocked a double to lead Whiteville hitters. Jeremy King had two hits while DeMichael Smith and Trey Nye each went 1-for-2.

THURSDAY
Fayetteville 6
Whiteville 4
(11 innings)

Back-to-back singles by Fayetteville Post 4’s Jarrell Goings and Landon Lowry provided the game-deciding runs in the top of the 11th inning.

The game was the 2007 home opener for the Whiteville squad.

Gabe Jones, who picked up the pitching win in relief, and Eric Brewington each had two hits for the Fayetteville squad. Brewington had a double.

Whiteville’s Ben Deans hit a double and scored twice, and Chris Harris had one hit and scored the other two Post 137 runs. DeMichael Smith also had two hits, and Robbie Penny added a double.

Whiteville tied the score in the bottom of the night when Deans and Harris tallied runs and Smith contributed a key hit.

Brian Sykes was the losing pitcher after relieving Trey Nye in the 10th inning. Michael Wright pitched the first seven innings, holding the Post 4 team to three hits.

WEDNESDAY
Hamlet 14
Whiteville 4
(8 innings)

Host Hamlet Post 49 made it a rough season opener for Whiteville Post 137 as it scored seven first-inning runs and closed thing out with four runs in the eighth inning. A two-run double by C. Ayers in the bottom of the eighth put an early end to the game by way of the 10-run rule.

Donovan Watts and Dakota Piver each had two hit for Whiteville. Chris Harris hit a double and Michael Wright also had a hit.

H. Weatherford led the Hamlet with a home run, a double, a single and walk. Scott Kelly added three hits and R. Scott had a triple.

D. Nelson was the winning pitcher while Jeremy King absorbed the loss.