WCHS wraps Siegel sweep

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard

Derrin Rogers winds up in this file photo from earlier this season. Tuesday night in Murfreesboro, Rogers picked up his third win, as the Pioneers defeated Siegel 7-2. (Rob Nunley photo)

The Pioneer baseball team picked up its first District 7-AAA sweep of the year on Tuesday night, downing Siegel in Murfreesboro 7-2 behind another strong night from pitcher Derrin Rogers.

Rogers worked his third complete game of the spring, improving to 3-0. He was touched for seven hits and walked two Stars will striking out three, and gave up his first two earned runs of the season. Prior to Tuesday’s game, the sophomore had pitched 22 straight innings without allowing an earned run.

Siegel (0-4 district, 2-11 overall) took a brief lead in the first, when Ken Roberts doubled and scored on a Chase Bowen single.

Jordan Powers gave the lead back to the Pioneers in the top of the second, however, with a two-out, two-run single to left that scored Todd Gilley, who had been hit by a pitch, and Coty Grissom, who had walked.

Tyler Herriman singled in the third and scored on a Dylan Stephens base hit, and the Pioneers went up 4-1 in the fifth, when Herriman was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third on an error and scored on Stephens’ sacrifice fly.

Siegel put up its second and final run in the bottom of the fourth, when Matt Dovrill singled home Evan Medlock, but despite allowing three hits and walking a man over the final two frames, Rogers got out of both jams without surrendering a run.

Warren County, which upped its record to 9-4 overall and 3-1 in league play, added some insurance with a three-run sixth. A bloop single from Herriman plated Powers, and Kyle Mullican, who had walked, scored along with Herriman on a base hit from Gilley.

Herriman, Gilley and Nick Cantrell finished with two hits each for the Pioneers, while Stephens and Powers had a hit apiece.

Siegel’s only multi-hit game came from Roberts, who was 2-for-3. Roberts also took the loss on the mound, working 5-2/3 innings and giving up all 7 WCHS runs. He walked five, allowed seven hits, and fanned seven.

The Pioneers were scheduled to take on Coffee County Thursday afternoon to open the Dr Pepper Wood Bat Classic, but the contest was called off due to rain. Weather permitting, they’ll face the Red Raiders today at 10 a.m., and are slated to take on Rhea County at 12:30. Saturday they’ll face Sequatchie County at 9 a.m., and close the Classic with a 7 p.m. contest against Smith County.