By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — “Blustery” was a good way to describe the March 25 weather for Watauga’s Northwestern Conference baseball game against visiting Hibriten. A better way to describe the Panthers’ hitters? “Flustered” by the Pioneers’ starting pitcher, Everett Gryder. The versatile junior threw seven strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits and striking out seven Hibriten batters in Watauga’s 3-1 win.
Both teams were held scoreless through the first three inning, knotted at 0-0 going into what became the decisive fourth frame. Hibriten remained scoreless in the top of the fourth inning, even though they threatened with a leadoff double by senior catcher Micah Greer. Gryder was able to wriggle out of the inning unscathed, setting up the Pioneers to take a 2-run lead in the bottom half of the frame.
Pioneer first baseman JT Cook jumped on Hibriten senior hurler Jon Spears’ first pitch for a line drive double to right. The big senior represented the game’s first run when consecutive singles followed off the bats of right fielder Dillon Zaragoza and left fielder Walker Ransdell.
With one out, Pioneer third baseman Cade Keller was credited with an RBI, knocking a slow roller to Hibriten second baseman, sophomore Maddox Marley, for a ground out that allowed Zaragoza time to score from third base, giving Watauga a still tenuous, 2-0 lead after four innings of play.
Hibriten responded with a run in the top of the fifth inning thanks largely to a line drive triple to the centerfield fence by outfielder Tanner Moore. Some alert baserunning by the talented junior allowed him to cut the deficit to just a single run before Gryder could extinguish the Panther rally.
Speedy Watauga second baseman Evan Burroughs smashed a one-out double to left to get things going in the bottom of the fifth inning, then promptly stole third base on Spears’ second pitch to Maddox Greene. The Pioneers’ senior shortstop capitalized, lofting a sacrifice fly to center that brought Burroughs home for the game’s final run.
The top of the sixth inning was another three up, three down pitching performance by Watauga’s Gryder and Hibriten’s Spears responded in kind, his inning only marred by an outfielder’s error that allowed Pioneer pinch hitter JJ Everett to reach second and put himself in scoring position. But the threat was to no avail when Spears got the final out when shortstop Julius Martin cleanly fielded a sharply hit ground ball by Watauga catcher Chase Gillin to end the inning.
Gryder finished the game on the mound for Watauga in the top of the seventh. He gave up a leadoff single to Hibriten right fielder Braxtyn Conn, but a game-ending double play got him out of any potential jam two batters later. Burroughs fielded a sharply hit grounder off the bat of the Panthers’ Moore, stepped on second base and whirled to throw the ball to first baseman Cook to complete the double play.
With the win, Watauga’s overall record improves to 4-7 and 1-2 in Northwestern Conference play. They travel to Morganton on March 28 to challenge Freedom (6-6, 0-3).
KEY PERFORMERS
- WAT – Everett Gryder: 7 innings pitched, 1 run allowed, seven strikeouts, 58 of 75 pitches were strikes, 1 walk
- WAT – Evan Burroughs: 1-3, 1 run scored, double, 2 stolen bases
- WAT – JT Cook: 1-2, 1 run scored, 1 walk, double
- WAT – Maddox Greene: 0-2, 1 RBI, sacrifice fly
- WAT – Dillon Zaragoza: 1-3, 1 run scored, 1 stolen base
- WAT – Cade Keller: 0-3, 1 RBI
- HIB – Braxtyn Conn: 2-3, double
- HIB – Tanner Moore: 1-3, 1 run scored, triple
- HIB – Micah Greer: 1-3, double
