Pioneers blast Patriots
By Steve Behr
 
The gap between first place and last place in the Northwestern 4-A Conference baseball standings is currently 17 runs.

That was the margin of victory for Watauga in its 19-2 pasting of Freedom Monday night at Watauga’s field in a game that was played at 4:30 p.m. instead of the usual 6:30 starting time because of potential rain that was expect to fall later Monday night.

Rain would have been the only thing to stop the Pioneers Monday night. After taking a 2-1 lead, the Pioneers (13-5, 8-1 NWC) sent 21 batters to the plate in the third inning to score 16 runs on 14 hits. Freedom (7-11, 0-8) did not record an out until the 15th batter when Phil Gordon grounded out. By then, Gordon had already delivered an RBI single and had scored a run.

Cal Hardee was the only Pioneer who batted at least twice and did not get a hit in the third. Instead, he walked three times, scoring twice. Adam Church was the other Pioneer to bat three times in the inning, belting a two-run home run in his first trip, a two-run double in his second time up and a single in his third.

“We needed to come out and do a job,” Church said. “It was just as important as any conference game. We knew we had to hit the ball and get out of there with a win.”

Church finished 4-for-4 from the plate, adding a single and scoring a run in the first inning. Kyle Miller followed Church’s home run with a two-run blast two batters later in the third inning, and Jake Wallace belted a three-run shot in his second at-bat in the third.

David Martin also cracked a powerful three-run home run in the inning, giving the Pioneers four homers in the frame.

When they were finished, Watauga racked up 17 hits in the game off four Freedom pitchers. Watauga sent six pinch hitters to the plate in the third inning and did not steal a base the entire game.

Watauga also got doubles from Baine Martin and Trey Lowder in the third inning. Both eventually scored runs.

“I was worried about it early because you never know,” Pioneers coach Pete Hardee said. “They lost to Alexander Central 2-0, so they’re capable of winning some games and they had a good Easter tournament. I was worried about playing first and I was worried about the rain, but our bats came alive and we hit some shots tonight that were long home runs, so that was nice to see.”

It’s not the first time Watauga has blown out the Patriots. Watauga beat Freedom 18-3 during the team’s first meeting on March 13, giving the Pioneers a 37-5 advantage in runs scored.

Freedom scored a run off Watauga starting pitcher Will Littlejohn when Matt Timmons and Mason Webb hit back-to-back doubles in the first inning. Webb picked up his second RBI of the game when his single drove in Kreg Fullbright.

But Webb found some tough luck in his second at-bat when he grounded into a double play, executed by Watauga’s second baseman, Chris Shelton, and shortstop Cal Hardee, who threw to Miller to get the second out.
Austin Story relieved Littlejohn at the start of the third inning and picked up the win, his second of the season. He struck out three and walked just one. Freedom collected six hits against the two Watauga pitchers.

“I thought Will might be a little tired from pitching Saturday in relief and he’s thrown a lot of relief for us lately,” Pete Hardee said. “Austin came in and did a good job in relief and did what we needed him to do today.”

Watauga plays at A.C. Reynolds Tuesday, the first of three NWC games left. The Pioneers also play at East Burke Friday and host Alexander Central next Tuesday.

Watauga 19, Freedom 2
Freedom 100 01 — 2 6 2
Watauga 20(16) 1X — 19 17 0
Littlejohn, Story (3) and Church. Webb, Waters (3), LaRoche (3), Brown (3) and Milligan. W—Story (2-0), L—Webb (0-2). LOB–Freedom 7, Watauga 6. 2B—Freedom, Timmons, Webb; Watauga, B. Martin, Church, Lowder. HR—Watauga, Church, D. Martin, Miller, Wallace. SF—Watauga, Lowder. SB—Freedom, Fullbright. HBP—Freedom, Waters (by Story). DP—Watauga 1.