Watauga clinches

share of NWC championship

By Steve Behr
 
Winning a conference championship is not supposed to be easy. Alexander Central made sure that Watauga had to put in a little extra effort into clinching at least a share of the Northwestern 4-A Conference title Tuesday night.

Watauga took a late eight-run lead and then held on to claim a 13-9 victory over the Cougars at Watauga’s field. The victory gave the Pioneers at least half of the NWC championship with South Caldwell. Watauga (15-6, 10-2 NWC) is through with its regular-season NWC season, while South Caldwell (16-3, 9-2) has one game left, at home Friday against Alexander Central.

However, since Watauga swept South Caldwell this season, the Pioneers are the No. 1 seed in the NWC Tournament next week.

It is the first time Watauga has won a league championship in baseball since 2001.

Watauga had a chance to win the league title outright, but stumbled to a 10-5 loss at East Burke Monday night.

“Every conference game was hard-earned,” Watauga coach Pete Hardee said. “There wasn’t an easy game in the bunch. Tonight was another example of having to stay after it and I’ll tell you, Alexander would not give up. They kept coming back and coming back and we needed every run we got.”

After leaving five runners on base, three in scoring position, in the first three innings, Watauga’s offense came alive with a five-run rally in the fourth inning, giving the Pioneers a 6-3 lead.

After Alexander Central (6-11, 3-7) followed with a two-run fifth, Watauga answered with a vengeance by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to claim a seemingly safe 13-5 lead.

But Alexander Central did not pack up and head back home. The Cougars added three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh. However, on a team that has 12 seniors, Watauga’s freshman right fielder David Martin clinched the victory by catching ta Lucas LaSalle fly ball to end the game.

At East Burke, the Pioneers were forced to use three pitchers, including Jon Sharpe, who started on Tuesday, and Cal Hardee, who picked up the save against the Cougars. Hardee threw 47 pitches Monday, but felt he could take over for Sharpe, who left with two outs in the fifth inning.

And though Hardee had a rough sixth inning, and allowed Alexander Central to score a run and then leave the bases loaded in the seventh, he said he didn’t feel all that tired.

“I had a good idea that I would be in relief,” Cal Hardee said. “My arm bounces back pretty quick. I threw all right. I buckled down and got the last outs and got it done, I guess.”

Pete Hardee decided to stick with Cal Hardee, even though the first three Alexander Central batters reached base in the last inning, and one scored on a Tylor Gilleland sacrifice fly. Will Marlowe singled to load the bases again, but Hardee struck out a good-hitting Logan Chapman and then got LaSalle to fly out to end the game.

“I just felt like we had to stay with him a little longer,” Pete Hardee said. “He got a big out for us (in the seventh) and then David came up big for us.”

All but one Watauga player delivered at least one hit. Baine Martin scored after hitting a single in the first inning, had an RBI double and scored a run in the fourth and scored again after being intentionally walked in the sixth to load the bases.

Adam Church also had an RBI single in the first and anther in the fourth inning and scored two runs. Kyle Miller had a key two-run double in the fourth inning and Trey Lowder had a two-run single in the fifth inning. Miller scored another run on an Alexander Central error on the play.

“Sometimes you just need to see a pitcher a time or two,” Miller said. “We just started timing them and we kept hitting the ball hard.”

David Martin also had a two-run single, and Jake Wallace had a double and scored a run in the Pioneers’ seven-run fifth. Chris Shelton scored a run after hitting a double in the fourth. He also walked and scored in the fifth.

“We were struggling and it might have been a little hangover from the East Burke game and trying to get over that game,” Pete Hardee said. “Sometimes when you play back-to-back games it will creep into the next game.”

Watauga finished with 13 hits, while Alexander Central rapped out 12. Jon Millsaps, Alexander Central’s starting pitcher, belted a solo home run in the sixth inning.

Watauga 13, Alexander Central 9
Alexander Central 003 023 1 — 9 12 2
Watauga 100 570 X — 13 13 3
Millsaps, Gilleland (5), Francisco (6) and LaSalle. Sharpe, Hardee (5) and Church. W—Sharpe (7-2), L—Millsaps (2-3). LOB—Alexander Central 10, Watauga 8. 2B—Alexander Central Marlowe, Galliher; Watauga, B. Martin, Miller, Shelton, Wallace. HR—Alexander Central, Millsaps. SF—Alexander Central, Gilleland, Galliher; Watauga, Wallace. SB—Alexander Central, Chapman.