Stewart’s ‘hit’ drives in run
From staff reports

CARY — Normally when a baseball player thinks about winning the game in the last inning, it involves a home run, or at least some type of hit.

Watauga’s Ian Stewart is going to have to settle for something less dramatic. A pitch hit Stewart with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning in the Pioneers’ 8-7 victory over Southwest Guilford in the second day of the IMPACT Classic Tuesday at the Olympic Training Complex.

Stewart’s unorthodox RBI capped a three-run rally by the Pioneers after they fell behind 8-6. Adam Church opened the inning by being hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a failed pick-off attempt. Trey Lowder tied the game with an RBI single, driving in David Martin.

With Lowder on third and Kyle Miller on second, Chris Shelton walked to load the bases, allowing for Stewart to be hit by a pitch and drive in the winning run.

“Not like that,” Watauga coach Pete Hardee said when asked if he’s ever seen his team win like that before. “We had one in the playoffs when they balked in the winning run, but not like that.”

Lowder went 3-for-4 from the plate with two RBIs. Miller and Baine Martin each had two of Watauga’s 10 hits.

“I was pleased with how we played,” Hardee said. “Those are some of the toughest teams we’ve played all year and they always seem to rise to the occasion.”

Watauga starting pitcher Jon Sharpe went four complete innings, giving up five hits and four runs, two that were earned. Sharpe struck out two and walked three. Watauga’s defense also committed four errors.

From there, Watauga used four other pitchers. Dylan Morris was brought up from the jayvee team, and joined Will Littlejohn, Mitch Minford and Beckett Bathanti coming out of the bullpen. Bathanti, making his first appearance of the season, picked up the win for the Pioneers.

Bo Rein went six innings for Southwest Guilford. He scattered eight hits, and gave up five runs, four that were earned. He also walked three and struck out two.

Watauga picked up two runs in the bottom of the third inning on a two-run double by Church. Lowder added an RBI single in the fourth inning to give Watauga a 3-2 lead.

But Southwest Guilford scored four runs in the fifth inning and another in the sixth to take an 8-2 lead.

Stewart got one of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single and Baine Martin drove in another run to pull Watauga to within 8-6.

“We’re playing good defense down the stretch,” Pete Hardee said. “We’ve been in a lot of close games and it seems that it’s paying off. The more games you play like that, the less nervous you get.”

Davis Inman and Ethan Ogburn each went 3-for-4 for Southwest Guilford. Ogburn also drive in four runs.
Watauga plays at Charlotte Providence Saturday. The jayvees play at noon and the varsity will follow.

Watauga 8, SW Guilford 7
SWt Guilford 200 041 0 — 7 10 2
Watauga 002 102 3 — 8 10 4
Rein, Inman (7), Sutphin (7) and Slack. Sharpe, Morris (5), Littlejohn (5), Minford (6), Bathanti (7) and Church. W—Bathanti (1-0), L—Inman. LOB—Southwest Guilford 10, Watauga 10, Watauga 9. 2B—Watauga, Church. SH—Southwest Guilford, E.. Slack; Watauga, Gordon. SB—Watauga, Shelton. CS—Southwest Guilford, E. Slack. DP—Southwest Guilford 1, Watauga 1.