Opening day blues: Late mistake costs Pioneers first game of season

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard

Warren County shortstop Matt Brown slides home with the Pioneers’ first and only run of Monday night’s game at Tullahoma. The Wildcats scored in the seventh to down WCHS 2-1. (Rob Nunley photo)

TULLAHOMA — Warren County’s 2002 baseball season got off to an inauspicious beginning Monday at Grider Stadium.

After holding their own through six innings of a tough pitchers’ duel with Tullahoma, a dropped infield fly in the bottom of the seventh allowed the Wildcats to capture a 2-1 victory.

Josh Wood, who had fanned in his first three at-bats, doubled to center field off Pioneer reliever Nicholas Robinson to start the seventh, and moved to third on a Matt Carter single.

A walk to Mark Chaney loaded the bases for Jarrod Smith, who popped a high fly toward second base. But amid miscommunication in the infield, the ball dropped between second baseman Nathan Cantrell and shortstop Matt Brown, and Wood beat the throw home to score the game’s final run.

“I don’t mind losing, but I hate to lose one like this,” said WCHS coach Jimmy Walker, whose team takes part in a tournament in Wilson County later this week.

A day of Pioneer struggles at the plate overshadowed a strong opening performance from starting pitcher Ryan Vincion, who allowed just five hits over five innings, struck out eight Wildcat batters, and gave up one run — a solo home run from Patrick Rogers with two out in the fourth.

“Ryan threw the ball well,” Walker said. “He got a little fatigued there at the end, but he threw well.

“Our pitchers did exactly what we asked them to do. You give up two runs in seven innings, that’s all we can ask of them.”

Robinson allowed two hits after taking over for Vincion in the sixth, striking out two, walking one batter and hitting another.

Offensively, Warren County got hits from Zach Pelham, Glen Rogers and Daniel Owens. Brown scored in the fourth inning, drawing a one-out walk, advancing to second on a wild pitch, stealing third and coming in on a passed ball.

While the Pioneers started cold at the plate, Walker is confident their bats will heat up.

“The kids feel bad; we hit the ball, just hit it right at them early,” he said. “We were real aggressive at the plate, and that’s what we want to do. We just squandered some opportunities.”

The Pioneers travel to Wilson Central for pool play Thursday, taking on Wilson Central at 3:00 and Macon County at 6 p.m. The tournament is being played at four sites — Wilson Central, Friendship Christian, Mt. Juliet and Lebanon.