By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Watauga hurler Everett Gryder allowed just one run over five innings vs. Ashe County on April 8, but the visiting Huskies chased him in the top of the 6th inning with five runs on three hits against the sophomore ace, en route to a 7-1 win at Pioneer Field.
Ashe County left fielder Gage Cheek went 1-3 on the day, the one hit being a bases-loaded, 3-RBI double, a major part of the 6-run offensive explosion by the Huskies in the sixth inning.
For the first five innings, the game was shaping up to be a 1-1 pitchers duel between Gryder on the mound for the Pioneers and Kye Pennington on the bump for Ashe County. Pennington allowed three hits and one run over five and one-third innings. He struck out seven Pioneers and walked four.
Gryder struck out the last two Husky batters in the top of the first, but not before the visitors took advantage of a walk that put Brodie Burgess on the base paths. He advanced on an errant pickoff attempt and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop Maddox Greene.
In the bottom half of the opening frame, the Pioneers responded when Greene rapped a 2-out ground ball through the middle for a single, then scored when Pioneer catcher Cooper Critcher doubled to the gap in right center.
Both pitchers cruised through the next four innings with only a little trouble, Pennington facing perhaps his biggest threat in issuing two consecutive walks before any outs in the bottom of the third.
After the Huskies exploded for six runs in the top of the sixth, prompting the Pioneers to insert Jameson Hodges on the hill for the remainder of the game, Pennington gave way to reliever Jordan Tibbs when the Pioneers mounted a minor scoring threat to start the inning.
Gryder was credited with allowing five runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and four walks for his five-plus innings of work. Pennington picked up the win for the Huskies, allowing just one run on three hits, matching Gryder’s seven strikeouts and four walks.
TOP PERFORMERS
- ASH – Gage Cheek: 1-3, 1 run scored, 3 RBIs, 2B
- ASH – Burgess: 1-3, 2 runs scored, walk
- ASH – J Tibbs: 1-3, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, walk
- WAT – Cooper Critcher: 1-3, 1 RBI, 2B
- WAT – Maddox Greene: 1-4, 1 run scored
- WAT – Jake Blanton: 0-2, walk, stolen base
