Pioneers blast

Kinston 12-0
From staff reports

KINSTON — Watauga needed just six hits to hammer out a 12-0 victory over Kinston in the final day of the George Whitfield Memorial Tournament Tuesday at Grainger Stadium.

The Pioneers finished the Easter weekend tournament 3-0, having beaten D.H. Conley last Friday and South Central on Monday. Both of those games finished in 4-3 Watauga victories.

Watauga’s win over Kinston was aided by 10 walks and four errors that led to an 8-0 Pioneers lead after four innings. Kinston starter Sergio Duarte gave up four runs on just one hit in the second inning.

Watauga scored in five of the game’s seven innings.

“They had a young pitcher throwing,” Pioneers coach Pete Hardee said. “They have a young team and they struggled throwing strikes. We pretty much did what we had to do to get the win.”

Watauga finished with six overall hits, four of them coming in the first four innings. Ethan Moyer drove in a run in the first inning with a single, while Matt Phillips did the same in the second. He also scored in the inning. Adam Church added an RBI single in the sixth.

Trey Lowder, Baine Martin and Austin Story also cracked singles for the Pioneers. Story also went the first five innings on the mound, striking out three, walking one and scattering two hits.

Josh Lovick and Cody Heath, who also pitched in relief of Duarte, each had a single for Kinston. Malik Herrin added a double.

Story, Moyer, Tyler Moore and Cal Hardee all made the all-tournament team.

“I was proud of them,” Pete Hardee said. “They represented our school well down there. It was a good trip for us.”

The Pioneers face a difficult week beginning Monday with a make-up game at East Burke. They host Alexander Central Tuesday, play at T.C. Roberson in Asheville Friday and host North Davidson Saturday.