By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — An offensive explosion by the Pioneers in the 4th inning on March 30 and clamp down pitching with tough defense triggered the high school “mercy rule” on March 30, Watauga defeating Freedom, 16-4, after four and a half innings played.
The Pioneers led 4-0 after the bottom half of the first when Jacob Dilley hammered a home run with Maddox Greene aboard, then Tristan Salinas followed up with a solo shot. Cooper Riddle got in on the first inning action with a double to the left field fence, then scored from third base on a wild pitch.
Freedom evened things up at 4-4 in the top half of the second, but Watauga answered in the bottom of the frame when Jameson Hodges scored on a wild pitch and Greene tagged up and came home on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Salinas.
Both teams went scoreless in the third inning and the Patriots were unable to put anything across in the top of the 4th, so Watauga was nursing a 6-4 lead entering their 4th inning at bat.
Greene started things off with a 1-out single, followed by three consecutive doubles by Dilley, Salinas, and Riddle, then a home run by Johnny Ray powered over the right field fence to clear the bases and up the score to 11-6. After walks to David Pastusic and Jake Henderson, Pastusic store third base and Henderson snatched second. Then Pastusic scored when the shortstop muffed Hank Matthews grounder, increasing the Pioneer lead to 12-4.
But Watauga still wasn’t done. With Hodges at bat, Henderson scored from third on a wild pitch (score: 13-4) before Hodges walked, Matthew moving to second. The team having batted around, Greene returns to the plate for the second time in the inning and singles to right, Matthews crossing the plate easily but Hodges coming home from second base, just beating the throw from the right fielder (score: 15-4).
Greene advanced to 2nd base on a sacrifice ground out by Dilley, then hustled home for his second run of the inning when Salinas slapped a single to left that was mishandled by the leftfielder. It was the last run of the game, which ended at 16-4 when the Pioneers retired the Patriots in order for what would be their last at-bat in the top of the fifth, the mercy rule in effect.
Jameson Hodges pitched all five innings for the Pioneers, allowing four runs on four hits, striking out seven and walking two.
Now 11-3 overall, 3-1 in conference, the Pioneers have three games on their schedule for next week, weather permitting. They are at North Buncombe (Weaverville) on April 3, on the road to Ashe County on April 4, then home to face South Caldwell on April 6. All three varsity games are scheduled for first pitch at 6:30 p.m.
Key Performances
- WAT – Maddox Greene: 2-3, 4 runs scored, 2 RBIs. 1 walk, 2 stolen bases
- WAT – Tristin Salinas: 3-4, 2 runs scored, 3 RBIs, 2B, HR, stolen base
- WAT – Cooper Riddle: 2-3, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, 2B(2), 1 walk, stolen base
- WAT – Jacob Dilley: 2-4, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, 2B, HR
- WAT – David Pastusic: 0-1, 2 walks, 3 stolen bases
- WAT – Johnny Ray: 1-3, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, HR, 1 walk
- WAT – Jameson Hodges: Winning pitcher, 1-3, 2 runs scored
