Pioneer baseball swept by Cookeville
A final-inning comeback attempt came up short Wednesday night, as the Pioneer baseball team fell to visiting Cookeville 9-6, suffering a sweep in its two-day District 7-AAA series.
Down 9-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Pioneers quickly loaded the bases as Dakota Taylor, Tyler Gilley and Andy Southard all reached. Zack Fisher followed by drawing an RBI walk, and after a Lane McCoy flyout, Casey Talbert grounded to second, allowing Gilley to score. Clint Newman laced a two-run hit to left field, bringing home Southard and Talbert, and Justin Bouldin was hit by a pitch, bringing Kyle Mullican to the plate as the potential game-tying run.
Mullican drilled a long fly to center, but it was hauled in on the warning track by Cookeville’s Michael Cox, cutting short the Pioneers’ comeback.
Newman’s single was the last of three hits by the Pioneer lineup, which was held without a base knock by Brandon Farley through 5 1/3 innings before Talbert singled up the middle. Bouldin also had a single in the sixth, but both runners were left stranded.
Cookeville, which improved to 8-2 in the district and 12-6 overall, struck for four runs in the first, getting to WCHS starter Josh Mullins for a pair of hits, including a two-run single by Tevis Sherfield.
The Cavaliers added two more to their tally in the second, courtesy of a Wade Collins double and an RBI single from Cox. But the Pioneers finally got on the board in the bottom of the frame as Bouldin walked, stole second and took third on a passed ball before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Taylor.
Bo Reeder gave Cookeville a 7-1 lead with a solo homer in the fourth, and Bouldin sacrificed home Talbert in the bottom of the inning to make it a 7-2 contest.
In the fifth, Cox led off with a double, later scoring on a single by Sherfield, and Judah Akers doubled to start the sixth off reliever Andy Southard, coming home when Farley followed with another double.
Mullins took the loss for WCHS, allowing eight runs through five innings of work. The win went to Cookeville’s Farley, who pitched six innings of two-hit ball, fanning five Pioneers before giving way to Gerald Griggs, who earned the save.
‘ Tuesday night’s series opener had plenty of drama as well, although it didn’t feature as much offensive production.
With two out in the bottom of the seventh and the game tied 2-2, the Cavaliers’ Akers drew a walk from Gilley, and took second when Sherfield’s grounder to short was misplayed by Fisher. The error kept the inning alive for Reeder, who gave himself the victory when he connected on a 3-2 offering for a game-winning single, driving home Akers from second.
The Cavaliers had taken a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, when Farley doubled home Griggs. But the Pioneers answered in the top of the third, as Newman, Bouldin and Mullican connected for three straight doubles.
Cox doubled to start the fourth, coming home when Griggs grounded into a double play to tie the game at 2-2.
With the losses, the Pioneers fell to 8-16 on the year and 3-7 in league play. They were scheduled to take on Shelbyville last night in a make-up of a previously rained-out game. The Pioneers are slated to travel to Franklin County Saturday for an 11 a.m. contest.