Patience pays off
By Steve Behr

WILKESBORO — Watauga senior Will Littlejohn finally got the chance to start on the mound for the Pioneers — and made the most of it.

“I was nervous,” Littlejohn confessed. “I just wanted to do well.”

There’s little question that things went well for Littlejohn, who went 6 2/3 innings and pitched the Pioneers to an 8-2 victory over West Wilkes in a non-conference baseball game Wednesday night. Littlejohn did not overpower the Blackhawks as he struck out just three batters.

But he had good control by walking just one batter, the leadoff hitter Brad Wingler, in the first inning.

Watauga also played solid defense behind him by turning double plays in the second, third and fourth innings.

“I was just trying to go as long as I could and get ahead,” Littlejohn said. “I felt like I did that. I hit my spots with my fastball and my change-up and my curveball mixed in there a little bit. It worked out well.”

Watauga coach Pete Hardee compared Littlejohn to former Watauga relief pitcher and spot starter Andy Waters, who carved a niche for himself in those roles when Jacob Chaney and Cal Hurst were the team’s top two starters. It’s a role that is not as glamorous as being a starter during Northwestern 4-A Conference games, but is needed when either Cal Hardee or Jon Sharpe, Watauga’s top two starters, can’t pitch.

“Will went down and pitched on the jayvees as a junior to get time on the mound and now he’s ready to go,” Pete Hardee said. “He’s doing a good job for us. He was the only one who could get Ardrey Kell out when we played them, so I feel he could do a good job tonight and he did.”

Littlejohn got plenty of help from Watauga’s offense. The knockout punch was delivered by Cal Hardee, who belted a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to give the Pioneers an 8-1 lead.

It was Hardee’s second hit of the game. He also had a lead-off double in the third inning, but did not score as Watauga left the bases loaded. The Pioneers also got a solo home run from Adam Church in the first inning and another solo blast from Matt Phillips in the second.

Church led Watauga’s nine-hit attack with three of his own.

Littlejohn said it was easier to be comfortable once Watauga took a 5-1 lead.

“I got comfortable and I just kept trying to get ahed with my first pitch and settle in,” he said.

But Watauga also left six runners in scoring position, 10 batters on base overall.

“We’re leaving too many guys on,” Pete Hardee said. “Sometimes teams start tensing up when they get runners in scoring position when they fail a few times and I think that’s where we’re at right now. We’ll come out of it. At least we’re swinging the bats well. We’re not just laying eggs. We’re doing all right.”

West Wilkes got a solo home run from Wingler in the bottom of the seventh inning, which promoted Pete Hardee to bring in Cal Hardee to get the final out of the game. Hardee will be the starter on the mound Friday when Watauga hosts A.C. Reynolds.

The Pioneers play West Wilkes in Boone this Saturday, making it their fourth game in five days.

“I worried about West Wilkes,” Pete Hardee sid. “They’re well -coached, they’re scrappy and every time we come here it’s a (tough) ballgame.”

Watauga 8, West Wilkes 2
Watauga 110 111 3 — 8 9 1
West Wilkes 000 010 1 — 2 10 0
Littlejohn, Hardee (7) and Church. Hallack, Zumbrook and Church. W—Littlejohn (1-0), L—Hallock. LOB—Watauga 11, West Wilkes 8. 2B—Watauga, Hardee; West Wilkes, Zumbrook. HR—Watauga, Church, Phillips, Hardee; West Wilkes, Wingler. SB—Watauga, Story. DP—Watauga 3.