Pioneers win at historic park
CHATTANOOGA — Above the entrance gate at Engel Stadium, the names of former Chattanooga Lookouts in the baseball Hall of Fame form an impressive group.
Also honored with their names upon the walls of the longtime home of Chattanooga’s minor league team are the several former Lookouts currently in “the show.”
Times change, and the Lookouts no longer call Engel Stadium home. But the Warren County Pioneers were the ones putting on a show in the historic ballpark Wednesday, as they traveled to face Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences.
“This is something these guys will be able to tell their children about,” said coach Jimmy Walker, whose squad picked up a 13-6 win over the Patriots. “I wanted to play as many of the guys as I could get into the game, so they’d be able to experience playing in such a historic place.”
In fact, 19 Pioneers saw action during the game, which held a more localized historic meaning due to the coaches competing in the respective dugouts.
Brandon Lowry, a former Pioneer who played for Walker and alongside current WCHS assistants Brent Whitlock and J.W. Holt, is in his first year coaching the Patriots, who travel to McMinnville today for a rematch at Patrick Ramsey Field.
Today’s game will feature a special ceremony honoring the 1992 state champion Pioneer squad, a team that included Lowry, Whitlock, Holt and Walker, who at the time was an assistant coach under Ronnie Brown.
Today’s events are scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.
The Pioneers pounded out 15 hits in Wednesday’s contest, taking a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the second.
CAS countered with a run off a two-out error in the bottom of the frame, but Pioneer starter Cody Mitchell was all but untouchable after that, working the first five innings to pick up the win. Mitchell struck out nine batters and walked just three while giving up two hits.
Eleven Pioneers came through with hits in the win, including Joey Haston, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Daniel Owens, who finished 2-for-3 and scored twice. Dylan Stephens, who came in for Haston in the sixth, finished 2-for-2.
Derek Kennamer stole a pair of bases and scored a run, while Zach Pelham was 1-for-2 with a run and John Morrison finished 1-for-2, driving in two. Glenn Rogers was 1-for-3 with an RBI sacrifice fly, Jake Mitchell reached base three times and scored a pair of runs, and Scott Dunham reached base all three times he batted, drawing two walks and singling to left.
Chase McGee was 1-for-1 with a sac-fly RBI and a run scored. Nathan Cantrell went 1-for-2 with a run, and Matt Brown was 1-for-3 with a run and two RBIs. Todd Gilley went 1-for-2, and Tommy Jones reached base twice, scoring two runs.
With the Pioneers holding an 11-1 lead through 5-1/2 innings, the Patriots came back with three runs after loading the bases in the sixth, then scored two more runs in the seventh before Jared Qualls retired the side to end the game.
WCHS traveled to Cookeville for a District 7-AAA contest Thursday night, and plays host to Cumberland County Saturday at 3:30 p.m.