Pioneers split 2 at Coffee County-Fall to Raiders, blast USJC

Logan Seamons (12) delivers a strike during Friday’s win over University School of Johnson City. Seamons worked a complete game on his way to the pitching victory. At right, Matt McColloch swipes second during the Pioneers’ loss to Coffee County.

Playing an afternoon twin bill at Coffee County’s Powers Field, the Pioneers fell behind to Manchester’s Red Raiders early, but put together a late rally only to fall short, 10-8. Momentum stayed on their side in the second game, however, as they topped University School of Johnson City 12-3.

The Game 2 win snapped a four-game losing streak for Warren County, which improved to 2-4 on the season entering Saturday’s pair of games at Lincoln County High.

In the opening contest of the day, the Pioneers took an early lead when Kyle Mullican belted his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left which also brought home Lane McCoy, who had walked, and sent Raider left fielder A.J. Tosh up and over the outfield fence.

Coffee answered with two of its own against WCHS starter Dakota Taylor, with Ben Aaron plating Tosh with a one-out single and Jeremy Estill drawing a bases-loaded walk which scored Aaron Pearson.

The Raiders added four runs in the bottom of the second, an inning capped by Aaron’s two-out, two-run homer to left, and plated another run in the fourth when Pearson singled home Heath Sain.

Up 7-2, Coffee struck again in the fifth inning. A leadoff walk to Zach Poteete and double by Estill chased Taylor from the mound, and reliever Lou Christian got Bryant Frederich to ground to short, but the ball got through the legs of the Pioneers’ Zach Fisher, allowing both runners to score.

WCHS began to rally in the top of the sixth, however, an inning which began with Darrid Wells rapping a solo homer over the left-field wall. Christian followed with a single, and with one out Fisher also came through with a base hit. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and McCoy drew another walk, this time from Raider reliever Ben Aaron. With the bases loaded Aaron dealt back-to-back walks to Mullican and Casey Talbert, and Clint Newman’s fielder’s choice was thrown away, allowing two more runs to score on the play.

Andy Southard came on to pitch the bottom of the sixth, fanning the first batter he faced before giving up a single to Aaron, who scored on a two-out double from Estill before Southard struck out Frederich to end the inning.

The Pioneers got one more run back, with Fisher singling then scoring on a fielder’s choice off Talbert’s bat, but Estill fanned Newman to end the game and earn the save.

Fisher finished 3-for-4 to lead the Pioneers at the plate, while Taylor took the loss, allowing nine runs (three earned) over four innings. The win went to Pearson, who scattered eight hits and five runs over 5 1/3 innings while walking two and striking out eight batters.

While the Pioneers’ second game was close for an inning, the remainder of the contest was completely in Warren County’s favor, as they broke a 3-3 tie to score two runs in each of the next two innings and a single run in both the fourth and fifth before slamming the door with a three-run seventh.

RBIs from Newman, Wells and Mark Harvey highlighted the top of the first, but the Buccaneers countered with a three-run frame against Pioneer hurler Logan Seamons, doing all their damage with two out in the inning.

Seamons settled down following the opening frame, allowing just two more hits and benefiting from a pair of Pioneer double plays. He finished with a complete-game six-hitter, after giving up four hits in the first. Seamons fanned five batters, and issued just one walk.

Tied at 3-all after an inning, the Pioneers took command for good in the second, when Mullican walked and Talbert reached on an error, both of which came with two outs. Justin Bouldin, who was hit by two pitches in the game and rung his own bell when a hard swing-and-miss came around to tag the side of his own helmet, put his club on top with a two-run liner to left, giving the Pioneers a 5-3 edge.

Talbert and Newman drew back-to-back RBI walks in the third, while in the fourth Matt McColloch came through with his first RBI of the year, plating Wells with a one-out single. Then Taylor, who came on to play third for Wells in the bottom of the fourth, grounded home Newman in the top of the fifth inning.

With a healthy lead, the Pioneers were able to bring in several more pinch-hitters in the top of the seventh. The reserves showed their skills, putting together three insurance runs with two out in the frame.

Tyler Glenn (in for Newman) started the surge with a walk, and was followed by Dustin Rhea, who singled to right in place of Bouldin. Taylor followed with an RBI single to right, and Lake Kirby came on to drop a single into left, plating Rhea. McColloch brought home the game’s final run with a hit to left which scored Taylor.

The Pioneers return to district action Tuesday, with a home game against Oakland at 6:30. The teams will meet again in Murfreesboro Wednesday night.