How ‘sweep’ it is-Pioneers take Game 2 from White County
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After earning their first district victory of the season Monday, then waiting an extra day after Tuesday’s rematch was rained out, the Pioneers returned to the diamond Wednesday night in Sparta, completing their first 7-AAA sweep by downing the Warriors by an 11-2 final.
Tyler Gilley went the distance on the hill, as the Pioneers improved to 6-9 overall and 2-4 in league play, and senior second-sacker Casey Talbert reached base five times, scoring three runs and driving in a pair.
Clint Newman, who also finished with two hits and two RBIs, got his team going in the top of the first, as Warren County got to Warrior starter Drew Haston for four straight hits, culminating with the catcher’s two-run double to left which scored Lane McCoy and Talbert.
Gilley allowed just one hit over his first two innings of work, and the Pioneers added to their lead in the top of the third, scoring four runs in a frame marked by a Justin Bouldin RBI single, a two-run error off the bat of Darrid Wells and a run-producing hit to left by Matt McColloch.
McCoy tripled to lead off the fourth against Warrior reliever Joseph Johnson, later scoring on a wild pitch to Newman which moved Talbert, who had drawn his second walk of the game, to third. Talbert came sprinting home when Newman grounded to second, putting the road squad on top by a 6-0 tally.
But the Warriors ended Gilley’s shutout bid in the home half of the frame, as a walk, a hit batter and a sacrifice bunt set the stage for an RBI grounder from Sparta catcher Dalton Bain and a run-scoring single from Roggie Haston.
Gilley ended the threat with a strikeout, and fanned three of the next seven batters he faced, retiring the Warriors in order in both the fifth and sixth innings.
Facing Zack Jolly — the last of three pitchers used by Sparta — in the seventh, Warren County’s Mark Harvey drew a one-out walk, and McColloch reached on an error in an attempt to force Harvey out at second. Zack Fisher came through with an RBI single up the middle, and after McCoy walk loaded the bases, Talbert slapped a two-run hit to left field for the Pioneers’ final insurance runs of the game.
Fisher, McCoy and Kyle Mullican all finished with two hits, on a night where every member of the Pioneers reached base at least once.
The Warriors managed just four hits against Gilley, who walked three, hit one batter and struck out six. Josh Peterson had the only multiple-hit night for Sparta, finishing 2-for-3.
Haston’s losing effort consisted of six runs (three earned) on eight hits, a walk and a hit batter. He struck out four before giving way to Johnson, who gave up two runs on as many hits, as well as two walks. He hit one batter and fanned three.
With the loss, Sparta dropped to 3-7 on the year and 0-6 in District 7-AAA action. The Warriors were scheduled to take on DeKalb County yesterday, while the Pioneers were slated to open their own Dr Pepper Wood Bat Classic with a game against Coffee County, but that game was rained out.
The Classic continues today, and is scheduled to conclude Saturday night.