Pioneers get out the brooms
The Pioneer baseball team kept its recent hot streak going Wednesday night, and got back to .500 in District 7-AAA by completing a two-game sweep with a 9-5 win over Lebanon.
After rallying for a 7-3 win on the road Tuesday night, WCHS (7-5, 2-2 district) used a four-run second inning to take an early edge on the way to Wednesday’s win at Patrick Ramsey Field.
“We had to fight for both of them, and the kids battled,” said head coach Jimmy Walker. “Regardless of the outcome of this game, I was going to be tickled because of the way they battled.
“They did the things they had to do, but we’ve got to cut down on these errors. We should’ve closed (Wednesday’s) game at the end, though. We’ve got to step up and get that done.”
The Pioneers took an early lead in Wednesday’s contest, when Chase McGee singled with one out in the first then scored on a Joey Haston double. After Lebanon countered with two runs in the second, WCHS went back on top 5-2 in their half of the frame, as five of their first six batters reached base.
Brooks Majors collected his first varsity base hit to start the inning, and stole second before coming all the way around to score when Joshua Bratcher’s bunt was thrown away by the Lebanon catcher. Bratcher moved to third on the play, and scored on his brother Jacob’s single to center field.
With one out, McGee singled home Jacob Bratcher, and took second when his hit was misplayed by Lebanon’s left fielder. Glenn Rogers reached on an error to move McGee to third, and McGee scored on a wild pitch for the Pioneers’ fifth run.
Lebanon scored on a Matt Mills RBI in the top of the third, but John Morrison walked and scored on an error to answer that run in the bottom of the inning.
The Blue Devils (6-7, 0-4) chased Pioneer starter Cody Mitchell from the mound in the fourth, loading the bases with one out and plating two runs. But reliever Jared Qualls stopped the bleeding, allowing one hit in the inning before retiring the side, then giving up just one more hit over the final three frames of the ballgame.
The Pioneers added some insurance in the fifth, scoring three runs on two hits and two errors to go up by the final margin of victory.
“One thing we’re doing right now is realizing — and I don’t mean this bad — that when we see an average high school pitcher we’ve got a chance to win the game,” Walker said. “Against those kids that are dominant, we might not do much with them because we’re so young.
“But we’re getting better, and that’s what we want to do. With each game, we want to try to get a little bit better.”
Mitchell worked 3-1/3 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and five walks. He struck out three Blue Devil batters before giving way to Qualls, who gave up just two hits over 3-2/3 innings.
At the plate, McGee, Majors and Jacob Bratcher had two hits each for the Pioneers, with Bratcher driving in three runs. Haston and Joshua Bratcher had the Pioneers’ other base hits.
Mills went 3-for-3 for the Blue Devils, while Corey Cunningham had the team’s only other multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4.
The Pioneers are competing in Riverdale’s Warrior Invitational. Warren County took on Beech Thursday, and faces Smyrna at Smyrna High School tonight at 6:30.
Saturday’s action begins at 10 a.m. with a game against Shelbyville, and the Pioneers wrap up their trip at 4:30 p.m. against Gallatin.