Pioneers top Sparta for 1st 7-AAA victory
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Junior Derrin Rogers worked six solid innings, allowing just two hits and walking in the Warriors? only run in the fifth. Colby Killian came on in the seventh, fanning two of the three batters he faced to nail down the win for the Pioneers, who improved to 4-5 overall and 1-2 in District 7-AAA play.
WCHS got started early at the plate, knocking out Warrior starter Todd Holman after two innings of work.
Jordan Powers led off the game with a walk, and moved around to third when Josh Bratcher?s sacrifice bunt attempt was thrown away by Sparta third baseman Blake Rice.
A grounder from Clint Newman plated Powers, and Bratcher came in to score on a double to right from Colby Killian, who scored himself when Jacob Bratcher singled to left.
After Rogers struck out the side in the top of the second, Nick Cantrell led off the Pioneer half of the frame with a single, and Powers beat out his bunt with a head-first slide into first base.
Josh Bratcher came on to bunt again, beating the throw to reach safely and scoring Cantrell in the process, and Powers scored to give WCHS a 5-0 lead when Newman?s high fly ball to left was dropped by Sparta?s Joseph Gwynn.
J.J. Taylor came on in the third for the Warriors, allowing just one more hit and four walks through the next four innings. But White County?s bats stayed relatively silent against Rogers? arm, as his only earned run came due to three straight walks in the fifth inning, with Gwynn eventually scoring when Kyle Hicks drew a free pass.
Rogers finished with six walks, balanced against eight strikeouts, in the winning effort. Holman was charged with four earned runs on five hits, while walking two and fanning one. Taylor allowed just one hit and walked four, striking out seven.
At the plate, Jacob Bratcher finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Powers, Josh Bratcher, Killian and Cantrell also had hits. The Warriors? two hits came from Holman and Taylor, who singled off Rogers to open the seventh.
WCHS traveled to Sparta to wrap up the two-day series on Tuesday, and will be in action all weekend at the Warrior Classic, beginning Thursday with a 5 p.m. game against Wilson Central. The game will be played at Siegel High School in Murfreesboro.