Sharpe's no-hitter sparks WHS
By Steve Behr
 
When Watauga needed its top pitcher to have one of his top games, Jon Sharpe didn’t disappoint.

Sharpe came within one batter of a throwing a no-hitter and two batters from tossing a perfect game against East Burke. Sharpe needed to be that effective as Watauga needed nine innings to beat the visiting Cavaliers 1-0 in a Northwestern 4-A Conference showdown that featured an outstanding pitchers duel between Sharpe and East Burke’s Corey Rhoney.

Sharpe won the duel, and with the combination of a 4-2 South Caldwell victory over McDowell that was also played Tuesday night, the Pioneers (7-2, 4-1 NWC) retook first place in the NWC by a half-game over McDowell and South Caldwell. The Pioneers, McDowell and South Caldwell all have one NWC loss, but Watauga has one more league victory.

East Burke slipped to 3-4, 1-4 NWC.

“It’s going to come down to games like this,” Watauga coach Pete Hardee said. “I don’t care how good you are, conference wins are hard to get and it’s going to come down to who can get a win in the ninth inning or who can come from behind to make a win. That’s what we’re going to have to battle because Friday night at Alexander it’s going to be no different.”

Sharpe was dominant in throwing a complete game against the Cavaliers. The senior struck out 14 and walked just one, Rhoney, in the first inning. He also said he knew he had a no-hitter and was disappointed that it didn’t work out.

“It may be my last chance at a no-hitter,” Sharpe said. “But at least I got a win out of it.”

He’ll get other chances if he can match his performance Tuesday night. Sharpe proceeded to set down the next 18 batters after walking Rhoney until Cody Franklin lined a single to right field with two outs in the seventh inning. Sharpe went on to retire the remaining seven batters he faced.

“He did just a great job,” Hardee said. “He just — inning after inning after inning — I was almost relaxed in the dugout. Not totally, but I had so much confidence in what he was doing.”

Sharpe can thank right fielder Austin Story for getting him out of a few jams. Story made two nice catches on line drives in the first inning, robbing Hal Hudson and Donnie Hughes of hits.

Story also made a diving catch in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to close out the game.

“He must have been on the ground three times making plays,” Hardee said. “That one he made down the right field line was unbelievable. I can’t believe how far he went to get that one, but he does that every single day in practice.”

However, Rhoney was just as effective, allowing three hits walking two and striking out 10 before being replaced by Hughes in the eighth inning. Hughes survived the first inning, but Phil Gordon delivered a two-out RBI single that drove in Matt Phillips to provide the game’s lone run.

It was Gordon’s only hit of the game. Hardee felt comfortable with Gordon at the plate when he went to bat, even if he had struggled before.

“Phil Gordon is a scrapper,” Hardee said. “He’s a kid who has worked hard her for four years. He’s not always been projected to be a starter at any point off his career. He comes in and earns the left field job and does a great job with it. I had no doubt he was going to hit the ball hard somewhere.”

Rhoney lived a little more dangerously than Sharpe, but got key outs when he needed them. He registered a strikeout in the first when a runner on second base, got two straight outs after the Pioneers had runners on second and third base in the third inning, and got a ground-out with a runner on second base in the fourth inning.

Rhoney also got out of a possible jam in the seventh when he caught Gordon’s bunt attempt and turned a double play.

“He was unbelievable,” Hardee said. “He is so hard to hit. He held us to one run last year and tonight, we couldn’t get anything off him. He’s as good a pitcher that there is in the state and Jon matched up with him tonight.”

Watauga plays at Alexander Central Friday night.

Watauga 1, East Burke 0
East Burke 000 000 000 — 0 1 1
Watauga 000 000 001 — 1 5 0
Rhoney, Hughes and Lowman. Sharpe and Church. W—Sharpe (2-1), L— Hughes (0-2). LOB—Watauga 7, East Burke 2. 2B—Watauga, Martin. SB— Watauga, Church, Miller, Story 2. DP—East Burke 1.