Dicus looks strong

in first varsity start
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

WILKESBORO — Will Dicus doesn’t dominate hitters with a fastball like he used to before being struck with bone cancer. In Watauga’s 3-2 win over West Wilkes, he didn’t need one.

Dicus, making his first varsity start, used a variety of breaking pitches, and a fastball, to pitch five solid innings for the Pioneers (10-5). Dicus allowed one run, a solo home run to Taylor Brooks in the second, three hits and walked just one.

Watauga’s defense made sure that walk didn’t hurt Dicus by turning a double play. Dicus ended up with a pitch-count of 62 in five innings work.

“I was ready to go,” Dicus said. “Just take one batter at a time, and I had a great defense behind me.”

West Wilkes (13-2) has not lost to any other team except Watauga. The Pioneers blasted the Blackhawks 17-1 early in the season, but West Wilkes was missing several players because the basketball and wrestling seasons had not finished. With a full team on the field, the Blackhawks, coached by former Watauga assistant Ben Wellborn, gave the Pioneers fits.

“That was the only loss of the season and we wanted another shot at them just to see where we were as far as the season goes,” Wellborn said. “ It kind of shows where we are and where we’ve come from.”

Watauga coach Pete Hardee, whose Pioneers are coming off an 11-1 loss to No. 1-ranked South Caldwell Tuesday, said West Wilkes is good enough to make a deep run in the state 1-A playoffs. He said they are a different team than the one they beat back in February.

“They had a lot of kids missing the first time we played them,” Hardee said. “They were full force tonight and they’re a force to be reckoned with.”

Watauga took a 2-1 lead on an RBI single by Baine Martin in the third and an RBI single by Trey Dunnigan in the fifth. But West Wilkes tied the game in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Scott Gambill off relief pitcher Tyler Moore.

Watauga won the game in the seventh with a sacrifice fly by Martin, who drove in Ethan Moyer.