Coffee too strong for Pioneers
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Facing the Red Raiders for the third time this season, the Pioneers struggled both on the mound and at the plate, falling short by a 6-4 final.
Although the team, which dropped to 6-10 entering last night’s District 7-AAA series with Siegel, put together 10 hits on the night, it was feast or famine as they also fell victim to 18 strikeouts. Starting pitcher Sawyer Mason, who earned the win, fanned nine batters, as did reliever Sam Davis, who worked 3 1/3 innings to pick up the save.
In all, every member of the Pioneer lineup struck out at least once, with the lone holdout ‘ catcher Clint Newman ‘ reluctantly joining the club as he tipped Davis’ two-strike offering into the catcher’s glove with two runners aboard in the seventh, ending the game.
Coffee County struck first with a run against WCHS starter Andy Southard. A.J. Tosh fanned, but reached on a wild third strike, and was moved around by a Dallas Holmes double before scoring on a single from Zach Poteete.
The Pioneers countered with two runs in the bottom of the second, however, when Zach Fisher singled home Justin Bouldin and Mark Harvey with two out in the frame.
The top of the third saw WCHS bring on Dakota Taylor, who struggled with his control and gave up two walks, a hit batter, a pair of hits and two wild pitches which accounted for three Coffee County runs.
With one out in the inning, Ben Aaron drew a walk, and Poteete doubled over the head of right fielder Matt McColloch. Jeremy Estill followed with a single, scoring Aaron, and a wild pitch plated Poteete from third. Nathan Jones went down swinging, but strike three was dropped and Newman’s throw to first sailed into right, allowing Estill to score and give the Red Raiders a 4-2 lead.
Warren County added another in the fourth, when Casey Talbert singled home Harvey, but Tosh ‘ the first batter faced by new Pioneer pitcher Darrid Wells ‘ doubled home Jamie Sain in the top of the fifth.
Aaron was hit by Wells to start the sixth, and after back-to-back wild pitches moved him to third, he came home on Poteete’s third hit of the game.
The Pioneers pulled a run closer in the bottom of the inning, when Newman singled up the middle to score Lane McCoy, and Wells set down the side in order in the Raider half of the seventh.
But in the bottom of the inning, Davis struck out both McColloch and Fisher, then after back-to-back hits by McCoy and Talbert he got Newman swinging to nail down the save.
Newman, Talbert, McCoy and Fisher had two hits each for the Pioneers, while Poteete was 3-for-4 for the Raiders and Tosh had a pair of hits.
On the mound, Southard surrendered a run on three hits and a walk in two innings of work, striking out three. The loss went to Taylor, who gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks, fanning two in two innings. Wells pitched the final three frames, giving up two runs on three hits.
Mason’s winning line consisted of five hits and six walks against nine K’s through 3 2/3 innings. Two of the three runs scored against him were earned. Davis also surrendered five hits and struck out nine, but gave up just one unearned run.
WCHS was scheduled to begin its district series at Siegel last night, and will play host to the Stars tonight at 6:30.