Crawdads off

to fast start
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

When Watauga upset defending 4-A state champion South Caldwell 1-0 earlier in the season, Pioneers coach Pete Hardee called it one of the biggest victories in Watauga’s history.

It was a lofty statement, especially since the school was born in 1965. Yet it was not that far off the mark.

South Caldwell had already beaten the Pioneers nine straight times over the course of four seasons, and the Spartans were averaging over 11 runs per game at the time.

Watauga pitcher Tyler Moore made sure that didn’t happen back in March by tossing a one-hitter at the Spartans. The only hit was an infield single by Lucas Jackson, this coming from a team that was undefeated at the time.

But South Caldwell got a chance to turn the tables on the Pioneers Tuesday night. The result were not ready for Wednesday’s paper, but a full story will appear in the Watauga Democrat Friday.

It’s also available online at www.wataugademocrat.com

Hardee figures South Caldwell will have a collective chip on its shoulder when it makes the trip to Boone.

However, that does not mean that the Pioneers will be afraid to step on the field with the Spartans, who have earned the No. 1 ranking in the state in the IMPACT baseball poll.

“I don’t think we’ll be intimidated,” Hardee said. “I’m sure they’ll come in and want to show us what the deal is tonight, but I think our kids will be up for the challenge.”

Moore turned in one of the best pitching performances in recent Watauga memory the first time the teams played. Not only was his variety of pitches confusing the Spartans, but his point of delivery — either overhand, sidearm or somewhere between — kept the South Caldwell hitters off balance.

Moore, helped by a solid Watauga defense, went seven innings to get the win.

“He’s got three or four pitches that he can throw for a strike, and that kept them off balance,” Hardee said.
“He’s got a fastball that is around 82-to-84 miles per hour, but it looks like 90 after the off speed stuff.”

Hardee also pointed to Moore’s competitiveness. In Watauga’s 4-3 loss to Alexander Central last week, Moore pitched five innings despite being slowed by walking pneumonia.

“He’s a competitor,” Hardee said. “He’s been sick, but he’s also excited to take another shot at South Caldwell.”

Moore picked up the save in Watauga’s last game, a 7-5 eight-inning, non-conference win over T.C. Roberson. The Pioneers got three solid innings of pitching from Austin Story, who came into the game when it was tied 5-5.

Story got the Pioneers to the eighth inning to collect the win. He also scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh when he crossed the plate on Trey Dunnigan’s two-run home run.

Story also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Dunnigan also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the first.

Jake Wallace hit a solo home run in the second inning and Trey Lowder drove in Story with a single in the third. Cal Hardee singled in Phil Gordon in the fourth to give the Pioneers a 5-1 lead. T.C. Roberson erased that lead with a four-run rally in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game 5-5, but the Rams would not score again.

Watauga finished with eight hits, including two by Cal Hardee.

“We swung the bats well down there,” Pete Hardee said. “They didn’t throw their number one or number two pitchers, so we jumped on them.”