Riverdale romps over WCHS Pioneers
Six errors, 10 strikeouts and just three hits added up to a deadly combination for the Pioneer baseball team Tuesday night, as unbeaten Riverdale came away from Patrick Ramsey Field with a 12-3 District 7-AAA win.
Riverdale improved to 15-0 and 3-0 in district play behind a strong pitching performance from sophomore Kyle Smith, who kept a no-hitter through 5-1/3 innings, and allowed just eight Pioneers to reach base, balancing 10 strikeouts against four walks and a hit batsman to pick up the victory.
“He threw strikes, he didn’t walk many, and when he gets both his pitches over he’s a good pitcher,” said RHS coach Buddy Powers. “We got out to a lead, and that allowed him to sit back and just pitch.”
While Smith got things done on the mound, his teammates took advantage of Pioneer miscues in the field and home runs from leadoff man Matthew Campbell and No. 8 hitter Justin Humphrey to take an early lead. That lead grew as the Pioneers had two errors in the fifth inning, allowing an unearned run, and three — which led to three unearned Warrior runs — in the sixth.
“We have to be able to field the ball, because we know our pitchers are going to give up some hits,” said WCHS coach Jimmy Walker, whose team dropped to 5-4 overall and 1-1 in district play. “We didn’t do that, and I think we were a little bit tight tonight.
“I think we were a little bit intimidated. I hate to say that word, but we played tight, and it just escalated for about three or four innings there. They hit two home runs, and you can’t do anything about that. But it’s a different ballgame if we don’t make those errors.”
Nicholas Robinson got the start for Warren County, giving up six runs (five earned) on five hits and three walks while fanning five Warrior batters. Joey Haston worked 1-2/3 innings of relieve, striking out three men and giving up an unearned run, and Colby Jenkins worked another 1-2/3 innings, giving up five runs (two earned) on five hits. Tommy Jones worked the last out of the Warrior seventh, fanning the only batter he faced.
On the other side of the ledger, Riverdale’s Smith didn’t falter until the sixth, when with one out, he allowed back-to-back singles from Nathan Cantrell and Derek Kennamer before giving up a two-out, two-run double to Glenn Jacobs.
The Pioneers struck for another run on two walks, a hit batter and an error in the top of the seventh, before a Warrior double play ended the late offensive surge.
Smith gave much of the credit to his defense, which committed just one error in the game.
“I felt pretty good coming out, and my defense really played great behind me,” Smith said. “They made every play tonight, and if they can continue to do that, we’ll be successful.”
The Pioneers, who combined to go 3-for-22 at the plate, were set to take on Blackman in another district contest Thursday night.
“We’re looking at the long road,” Walker said. “We’re not going to fix everything in one game. We’re going to come back out for practice, mix things up a little bit and make some changes. We’re going to see who wants to step up and play.
“We’ve just got to get better each day, and that’s what we tell the kids every day. We’ve got to find some things that are going to work for us, and get the job done.”