Watauga nine takes

two victories Sunday
By Steve Behr

There are still some kinks to work out, but Watauga baseball coach Pete Hardee liked most of what he saw during the four games his team played over the weekend.

Watauga won two of the four games played at Watauga’s field, beating T.C. Roberson 6-3 and then beating the Asheville Showcase 9-5 on Sunday. On Saturday, Watauga opened the four-game round robin with a 7-7 tie with T.C. Roberson and lost 10-3 to Tuscola.

Watauga got a welcome addition from Josh Wyant, a transfer from Maiden, who went a combined 6-for-6, five singles and a double, in the two games Sunday. Wyant drove in a run in the first inning and scored in the fourth against Asheville and drove in a run with a single in the seventh inning against T.C. Roberson.

“It’s fun to watch the kids enjoying the game,” Hardee said. “Some of them know what their role is and they’re doing their role effectively.”

Hardee was mostly happy with how the pitching staff responded Sunday. Ethan Green and Matt Proffitt held Roberson to six hits, and the combination of Dylan Norris and Proffitt held Asheville to seven hits. Both games, Proffitt came on in relief to close the games out.

“Some of those guys can throw four pitches and some can throw three and some can only throw two,” Hardee said. “If we can get all of them to be able to throw a curveball and a change-up, a slider and a fastball for strikes, that’s when pitching gets fun. That’s when you can mix it up.”

Tuscola’s defense made sure Watauga would not mount any comeback bid. Watauga had 10 hits, three by Josh Roberts, but struggled to drive in runs. The Pioneers went through four pitchers against Tuscola, which got a two-run home run from Walter Shepherd in the fourth inning and another two-run shot from Rob Howard in the fifth inning.

Watauga’s first game of the two-day event turned out to be played against Roberson instead of Murphy, which canceled at the last minute, Watauga got a two-run home run from Ethan Critcher and an RBI single by Proffitt to tie the game in the seventh inning.

The Pioneers also got an RBI single from Ethan Critcher and a two-run home run from Ryan Turner in the second inning. David Martin had an RBI single in the first.

Josh Roberts had two hits, including an RBI double, and scored two runs against Roberson on Sunday. Proffitt also had a solo home run in the fifth inning.

Watauga rallied for four runs in the fourth inning to cruise past Asheville. Proffitt had a two-run double and Critcher followed with a two-run single in the inning.

Watauga added three runs, two of them unearned, in the top of the sixth. Garrison McGuire had a sacrifice fly in the inning.

“I was very pleased with the weekend,” Hardee said. “We played well and we’re getting some kids back in the lineup. We hit the ball well all weekend and our pitchers are getting better every time they go out.”

Watauga won’t play in a tournament over the Fourth of July weekend, but will return to the field the following weekend in a tournament at T.C. Roberson in Asheville.