Smithfield — Although it was a few minutes early, the clock struck midnight on Johnston County-based Post 71’s hopes for the Area 1 American Legion baseball championship Thursday.

Plagued by a late-afternoon shower, the Sabres found themselves working feverishly to prepare the infield of Spartans Field to get it in playing condition.

The effort took a lot out of the Sabres, who eventually dropped a 7-6 decision to Wayne County Post 11 in the deciding game of the best-of-game set.

Despite the defeat, Post 71 will be the area's No. 2 representative in the N. C. Senior State Tournament, which begins Aug. 3 in Gastonia.

Post 71, which enters with a 19-11 record, will face either Randolph County or Rowan County, the champion of Area 3, in the tournament's opening game on the grounds of Sims Legion Park.

Sabres head coach Vic Bird said the effort put into preparing the field probably hurt the team.

Once the field was deemed playable, the game, scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, got underway a little before 9 p.m.

“I think it took a lot out of them," Bird said. "I know it took a lot out of me, and having to do this didn't help the situation (of playing for the area title)."

Benefiting from the extra rest while the Sabres worked on the field, Post 11 took quick advantage, grabbing a 2-0 lead on Walker Gourley's homer to right off starting pitcher Jeff Citero.

Post 71 battled back, manufacturing a run in the bottom of the first, then tying the contest in the fourth on a solo shot by Ryan Daughtry, his first of two on the night.

Thanks to that homer, along with solid defensively play in the four innings following Gourley's shot, the Sabres seemed to have caught their second wind, and took a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run rally.

Justin Diener singled to start the inning, then moved to second on a wild pitch.

Brian Mills drew a walk, and following a screaming liner to center that was snared by Post 11's Nolan Lancaster, Blake Murray ripped a single to left, loading the bases and chasing Wayne County starter John Wooten from the mound.

Post 11 opted to go to Jay Rose, normally the team's closer, to relieve Wooten.

Daughtry, coming off a 4-for-6 effort in the Sabres' 20-2 win Wednesday night, continued his offensive onslaught with a two-run double to right.

Murray, who moved to third on the blast, scored on a wild pitch by Rose, giving the Sabres the 5-2 lead.

But Wayne County, the Eastern Division champion and 2007 state runner-up, tied the game with three consecutive hits off a tiring Citero, highlighted by a mammoth three-run homer by Zach Wright.

"We talked about taking Jeff (Citero) out before the inning started, "Bird said. "We were trying to get a gauge on ourselves for how long he could go."

Chris Hinton relieved Citero after the homer, and shut the door on Post 11 through the seventh, surrendering the ball to Will Henschel to start the eighth.

The Sabres attempted to answer Wright's homer in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases on a third-strike wild pitch, a single and hit batter, only to see Daughtry strikeout to end the rally.

Wright gave Wayne County the lead for good in the eight, drawing a walk, then advancing on a passed ball, a steal of third and a Lancaster sacrifice.

Wooten redeemed himself for his stint on the mound, blasting a one-out homer to left in the top of the ninth for a 7-5 Post 11 cushion.

But the Sabres had one more charge in them. Daughtry, who batted 4-for-5 for the night, slammed a one-out homer to right, trimming the margin to 7-6, and Brad Fletcher drew a two-out walk.

But Rose caught Evan Harbinson looking for the final out and the area championship.

"I wasn't confident," Bird said of the 5-2 lead. "I knew we were tired and they were a little fresher, plus they had the desire to win after what we did to them yesterday.

"It wasn't one of our goals to win this thing, and that was probably a bad thing on our part. We made a goal to win our conference and get to the state tournament.

"We're going up there (state tournament) as underdogs, and that's a good thing — we can go up there more relaxed."