Nine-run frame propels Pioneers: Rogers belts two homers in fifth-inning outburst

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard

Warren County’s Zach Pelham applies the tag, but loses the ball as Chattanooga School of Arts and Sciences leadoff man Keith Rawlston steals second base during the first inning of Friday’s game. (Rob Nunley photo)

After a shaky start, the Pioneers’ offense erupted Friday for nine runs in the fifth inning on the way to a 13-3 win over Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences.

Trailing 3-2 at the time, the Pioneers sent 12 men to the plate in the fifth, an inning highlighted by a pair of line-drive homers from outfielder Glenn Rogers.

“Glenn was the bell cow today, he got us going,” said WCHS coach Jimmy Walker, whose team improved to 14-10 with the win. “He stepped up and was a leader, and that’s what he needs to be doing out there.”

Rogers, who drove in two runs with a blast to right-center his first time up in the fifth, then capped the inning with a three-run roundtripper to right, said the Pioneers’ heads weren’t in the game early Friday.

“We beat them pretty bad down there in Chattanooga, but came back here and didn’t focus. We thought we could be them right off the bat,” he said. “But they hit the ball.

“Coach had to get on to us a little bit, but we straightened up.”

CAS got things going in the first, when third baseman Michael Brown launched a three-run homer against Landon Boren to open the game.

“I take my hat off to coach (Brandon) Lowry; he had his kids ready to play,” said WCHS coach Jimmy Walker. “They played hard today.

“We weren’t focused, we haven’t been focused the last couple of games, and basically I told them they could win this game or they’d run. That was about all the motivation they needed.”

Boren settled down after the first, however, allowing just three hits the rest of the way, and the Pioneers pulled back into the contest with a run in the third and another in the fourth.

After the Pioneers blew the game wide open in the fifth, Scott Dunham ended the onslaught in the sixth, driving in Daniel Owens and Joey Haston with a triple to right that ended the game via the 10-run mercy rule.

Rogers finished 2-for-3, while Nathan Cantrell went 2-for-2 with two stolen bases and two runs scored.

Owens and Dunham were each 2-for-4, with Owens driving in one run and Dunham plating a pair.

Kennamer, Jake Mitchell and Matt Brown also had hits for the Pioneers, who faced Cumberland County Saturday and will take on Oakland on the road Tuesday night.