Area sports roundup

Pioneers blank Titans 9-0
From staff reports

Watauga’s boys’ tennis team continued its stampede through the Northwestern 4-A Conference with a 9-0 victory over McDowell Friday.

The Pioneers (8-2, 8-0 NWC) got 6-0, 6-0 victories from No. 1 seed Graham Battle and No. 2 seeded Beau Wilson. Jeffery Geldmeier beat Blake Hensley 6-3, 6-1 at No. 3 singles, while Davis Roberts won at No. 4 singles with a 6-0, 6-1 win. At No. 5 singles, Ryan Schweitzer beat Jonathan Shuman 6-1, 6-2, and Alex Blackwelder beat Quinton Smith 6-1, 6-1.

The results were similar in doubles. Battle and Lake had no trouble with Hensley and Daniel Kim by taking an 8-1 decision in a pro-set. Bryan Geldmeier teamed with Schweitzer to beat Byrd and Shuman 8-0, while Roberts and Blackwelder beat Hall and Frankie Newton 8-0.

Watauga 9, McDowell 0
Singles
Graham Battle d. Daniel Kim, 6-0 6-0
Beau Wilson d. Nick Byrd, 6-0 6-0
Jeffery Geldmeier d. Blake Hensley, 6-3 6-1
Davis Roberts d. Adam Hall, 6-0 6-1
Ryan Schweitzer d. Jonathon Shuman, 6-1 6-2
Alex Blackwelder d. Quinton Smith, 6-1 6-2
Doubles
Battle/Lake d. Kim Hensley, 8-1
Bryan Geldmeier/Schweitzer d. Byrd/Shuman, 8-0
Roberts/Blackwelder d. Hall/Frankie Newton, 8-0

Dicus tosses jayvee no-hitter
MORGANTON — Watauga jayvee pitcher Will Dicus threw a no-hitter at Freedom in the Pioneers’ 15-0 pasting of the Patriots last Friday afternoon before the varsity game.

Dicus, who has been sticken with bone marrow cancer, picked up his second victory of the week. Dicus, on the varsity level, beat West Wilkes 3-2 last Wednesday.

Against Freedom, Dicus piched all five innings in picking up the victory. He struck out eight and allowed just four base runners the entire game.

Dicus also hit a single in the fifth inning before being taken out of the game.

Furman avoids ASU sweep
From staff reports
GREENVILLE, S.C. — A day after taking an impressive doubleheader sweep over Furman, the Appalachian State softball team dropped a 5-1 decision to the Paladins.

The Mountaineers fell to 7-24 on the season and 5-5 in the league in the loss while Furman improved to 18-21 and 7-5 in the SoCon.

A costly error to start the bottom of the first gave Paladins confidence that game three of the series would not be like the first. Furman struck quickly in the opening inning for two runs off three hits.

Appalachian was not able to answer until the fifth inning when freshman Sarah Rappe scored from third off a single by Brittany Gaston to deep left center, leaving Furman in front 2-1.

In the sixth, Furman erupted for three runs off three hits and another Mountaineer error to put the game out of reach for the Mountaineers.