WHS edges Tabor
From staff reports

WINSTON-SALEM — Watauga baseball coach Pete Hardee admitted that it may have looked strange taking his Pioneers back to Mount Tabor, a team that beat Watauga by nine runs just two days earlier.

But with rain falling nearly all day Tuesday and a field that still had plenty of water standing on it, Hardee jumped at the chance at a rematch, even if it was in Winston-Salem.

The Pioneers made it worth their while by knocking off Mount Tabor 5-4 Wednesday night. Watauga (2-2) shifts its attention to defending 4-A and Northwestern 4-A Conference champion South Caldwell, which hosts the Pioneers Friday night.

Just like their win over Mount Tabor, playing at South Caldwell gives the Pioneers a chance to overcome some heavy odds. The Spartans are not only the defending champions, they were the state runner-up two years ago.

Of course, during those two years, the Spartans had a pitching rotation that included 6-foot-4, left-hander Madison Bumgarner. In Bumgarner’s four years, he faced the Pioneers nine times, winning the last eight.

But Bumgarner was drafted 10th overall by the San Francisco Giants last spring. However, that doesn’t mean the Pioneers have clear sailing when it comes to South Caldwell pitching.

Waiting for them is Jimmy Messer, a hard-throwing right-hander who was also critical in the Spartans’ drive to a 4-A title. Messer, who has signed with North Carolina, can also throw 90 miles per hour and, according to Hardee, has an excellent breaking ball.

“We still face quite a challenge with Messer,” Hardee said. “He signed with Carolina and some have argued that he’s tougher to hit than Bumgarner. It’s always a challenge when you play South Caldwell. They have different names and numbers, but they’re always talented and they always play hard. We like to feel that we are the same way, so it should be another battle.”

Knocking off a talented Mount Tabor team that had beaten the Pioneers 10-1 Monday certainly gives them some momentum.

Watauga right-hander Ethan Moyer, who Hardee hoped would pitch about 2-3 innings, ended up pitching 6 1/3 innings before a three-run home run chased him off the mound.

From there, Jake Wallace took over and picked up his first save of the season.

But it was Moyer who kept the Pioneers close. He turned in four scoreless innings before being tagged for a run in the fifth. He set the Mount Tabor lineup down in the sixth before showing some signs of fatigue in the seventh.

“He pitched very well. I was very pleased,” Hardee said. “I was looking to get two or three innings out of him, but he kind of cruised along and did a really good job for us.”

Moyer, who had shoulder problems before the season, struck out five, walked two and hit one batter with a pitch. He scattered eight hits.

“His first four innings were about flawless,” Hardee said. “I probably left him in a batter too long, but he did a great job for us. He did far more than expected.”

Moyer also helped out with his bat by hitting a double in the first inning. With two outs, Austin Storie drove him in with a single.

Storie also singled in the second and scored on a Trey Lowder home run. Wallace also singled, stole second and scored when Daniel Baker reached first base on a dropped third strike when the catcher threw the ball into right field.

Baker scored on a Cal Hardee double, giving the Pioneers a 5-0 lead.

Pete Hardee, looking to add some offense to his lineup after scoring just two runs against Ardrey Kell and one against Mount Tabor in the first game between the teams, played Storie at third base, Wallace in left field and Adam Church at catcher. Storie was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Lowder was 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and a stolen base. Church also had a sacrifice bunt in the fourth that moved Storie to second.

Hardee said not only did the moves pay off at the plate, but also in the field.

“I told them to show me some defense and we could continue to play it,” Hardee said of the new lineup, which will have its hands full Friday. Tyler Moore is the likely starter on the mound for Watauga, and the Pioneers also have Jon Sharpe available in relief.

“We paid the price for that on Monday when we lost to Mount Tabor, but this game is certainly more important,” Hardee said.