Steed, Pagano Lead Falcons to Rivalry-Intensifying 10-0 Win with Wyatt Smith reporting

Steed, Pagano Lead Falcons to Rivalry-Intensifying 10-0 Win
from Wyatt Smith with GreensboroSports.com

When Southeast PA announcer John McDade announced, “Pitching for the Falcons, number eight, Bailey ‘Bam Bam’ Steed,” he made clear there was no questioning the decision from Southeast head coach Dave Beasley to give Steed the nod for Friday night’s big metro-4A conference and heated rivalry game against Southern Alamance.

Steed went the distance for the Falcons, striking out nine, walking four, hitting one, and giving up only two hits on his way to the shutout win. Bailey also helped his cause at the plate, going 2-4 with 3 RBIs, the last of those three driving in the tenth run for the Falcons, ending the game.

There were four Falcons who had a multi-hit game, including Forrest Brothers who was 2-4 with 2 runs scored and DJ Artis going 2-4 with 1 SB. Tommy Michaels drove in the first Falcon run of the evening with an RBI triple to left field in the first inning. No performance was more impressive than that of the shortstop, Carmine Pagano. Pagano was 4-4, with 2R scored, and a stolen base. The big plate appearance and performance for Carmine was in the second inning when he hit a 3R HR over the left field fence.

“I felt pretty focused at the plate, saw pitches well, didn’t try to do too much with them. The dinger just happened to come out,” said a wide-grinned Pagano of his big night, as he stood beside Bailey Steed, whose smile was just as big, in front of the Falcons dugout after the game.

“I would’ve liked to walk a few less,” Steed said, ” but I couldn’t be happier about this game. It was great.”

The two Patriots who got hits off of Bailey were the big DH Thomas Oldham with a ball that he squared-up and laced on a line for a single, and Tyson Poe with a double in the first inning. Poe later made it to third base on one of the four Steed walks, but was unable to advance the final 90 feet to end up stranded at third.

The starter on the mound for the Patriots was Tyler Ceparano, whose line was 4+ IP, 7ER, 9H, 4K, 2BB. Tyler ended up with the losing decision on the night, but remained a well composed young man during some tough times for him on the mound. Hunter Curtis relieved Ceparano for a total of 2IP 3R, 0ER, 4H, 4K’s and had a devastating curveball.

“If you had told me I was going to get that from my pitching, I would’ve taken it all day,” Coach Smith said of his team’s effort. “They’re a good ball club; you know they’re gonna get some hits, but you just can’t give any team 4- and-5- out innings.” The Patriots had a tough night defensively and made a total of 6 errors .

There was a heated discussion between the head coaches in the 4th inning when the Falcons were batting. They met on the third base side of home plate where that altercation took place. The Patriots’ defense then charged the infield. Everything was quickly broken up by Coach Gamble and the umpires, and the game finally got back underway.

Coach Beasley commented on the exchange saying, “I think it’s just a rivalry, and it’s always been a rivalry. Coaches are going to protect their players, and that’s all that was. We’re going to go down there Thursday and play, and hopefully it’s behind us.” Coach Smith declined to comment, saying that they were going to handle things “in house”.

To say this was a high intensity game would be selling it short. Fans knew coming in that’s the way it would be, and that’s exactly how it went. The rivalry was definitely intensified tonight, and will be continued this coming Thursday at Southern Alamance when two teams meet once more.

One thought on “Steed, Pagano Lead Falcons to Rivalry-Intensifying 10-0 Win with Wyatt Smith reporting

  1. I wasn’t at the game, but few people realize what a big rivalry Southeast and Southern Alamance are and have been for many years. Truly glad nobody was hurt.

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