Tennessee High made the seventh inning hazardous for the Hazard Bulldogs from Kentucky as the Vikings earned a 10-9 walk-off win to prevail in a wild back-and-forth baseball game on Friday night.
THS led 6-3 after six innings before Hazard (8-2) scored six times in the top of the seventh. The Vikings (9-6) responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh as they snapped a four-game losing streak.
“Continue to find an identity with this young and talented team,” said Tennessee High coach Preston Roberts. “The bottom of the seventh we didn’t give up and continued to compete and were able to work counts and draw some walks.”
Dayne Musick drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in pinch-runner Traye Collette for the game-winner.
The final inning played out like this for THS: Preston Feagins reached on an error, Hudson Pender walked, Knox Keesee singled on a 3-2 pitch, Rylan Lambert walked with the bases loaded, Austin Harbor walked with the bases loaded, Colton Cross hit a game-tying sacrifice fly, Russell Blevins walked and Musick delivered the walk-off walk.
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Musick, Feagins, Harbor and Cross each finished with two RBIs.
Four Hazard pitchers combined to issue 11 walks.
Lambert tossed four strong innings of relief for the Bristolians, while Cole Smith was the winning pitcher.
Abingdon 9, Union 0
The Abingdon Falcons are tied for first place in the Mountain 7 District.
They also lead the league’s arms race.
Abingdon’s outstanding pitching shined once again as the Falcons improved to 6-1 with a victory at Union.
Landon Turman, Braylen Debusk and Elijah Parks combined to pitch a one-hitter with nine strikeouts.
The Falcons have allowed just 19 runs in seven games with two shutouts.
Jett Humphreys homered for Abingdon, while Parks and Grant Lambert had two RBIs apiece.
Braxton Bunch had the lone hit for Union. Four pitchers for the Bears combined to issue nine walks.
Abingdon plays John Battle on Tuesday in a first-place showdown.
“Proud of our guys for a well-played game,” said AHS coach Mark Francisco. “Turman, Debusk and Parks pitched really well and our defense made some nice plays. Union is a talented and very well-coached team.”
John Battle 5, Gate City 2
At this moment in time, few sluggers in Southwest Virginia are as locked in as John Battle senior Elijah Childress.
He went 2-for-4 to raise his batting average to .450 and drove in all five of Battle’s runs in a Mountain 7 District road win.
Oh yeah, he also played a tough third base.
“Elijah’s plate approach was amazing,” said John Battle coach Jimmy Gobble. “He’s been grinding with some early work and having great recognition in the box and living gap to gap.”
Childress hit a game-tying two-run triple in the third inning and then hit a a go-ahead three-run homer in the top of the seventh.
Casey Rector, Owen Senter and Carter Helton each had two hits for the Trojans, who improved to 5-2. Palmer Gobble and Caden Sturgill combined to pitch a three-hitter with seven strikeouts.
“Palmer and Cado pitched great and the defense played on their toes as well,” Jimmy Gobble said.
Hayden Wilson’s two-run homer in the second inning accounted for Gate City’s scoring.
Virginia High 15, Patrick Henry 6
Connor Brown went 4-for-4 and scored two runs as the Virginia High Bearcats beat Patrick Henry for the second time in as many ways.
That came 24 hours after a 14-3 win over the Rebels as the Bearcats (5-2) have broken out the bats.
Luke Whitt had two hits and two RBIs for Virginia High and was also the winning pitcher as he tossed 5 2/3 strong innings of work.
“Luke came out and had good stuff tonight,” said VHS coach Adam Moore. “Fortunately, we were able to absorb some mistakes and pull this one out. The small game was a big help for us tonight and we had some hits behind it. Proud of the execution. Gotta take care of a couple of mistakes in the field but we will be OK. PH doesn’t go away and they battled hard.”
E.J. Hucks went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs, while Nixon Nowiski and Ryder Estes each had two hits and two RBIs.
Hank Rutherford went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for Patrick Henry, while Carter Brown had two hits.
Elizabethton 11, West Ridge 8
Justin Whitehead had four hits as the Elizabethton Cyclones outslugged West Ridge for a non-conference win.
West Ridge receive a home run from Reed White, three hits from Brayden Barr and three RBIs from Parker Senn.
PikeView (W.Va.) 8, Graham 3
NCAA Division I prospect Eli Hilling hit two doubles and drove in four runs as PikeView pounded Graham in the first game of the Coppinger Invitational at historic Bowen Field in Bluefield.
Noah Davis had a two-run single in the second inning for Graham, while Cam McCroskey, Aidan Miller and Cooper Hale scored the runs for the G-Men.
Ridgeview 12, Lee High 5
Freshman Colin Hill had himself a day as the Ridgeview Wolfpack whipped Lee High for a Mountain 7 District win.
Hill went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored.
Xander Wallace and Jordan Castle added two hits apiece in the win. Wallace and Brant Mullins teamed to pitch a three-hitter with eight strikeouts.
Virgil Hobbs had two RBIs for Lee.
Marion 8, Rural Retreat 7, susp., darkness
Marion’s non-district game at Rural Retreat was suspended due to darkness with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Mason Pugh was 3-for-6 with a home run and four RBIs for Marion prior to the suspended.
Tazewell 20, Bluefield (W.Va.) 0
Braydon Roberts went 4-for-4 with five RBIs and Finn Moss pitched a two-hit shutout as Tazewell triumphed easily.
SOFTBALL
Abingdon 18, Union 8
Muriel Dillow went 4-for-5 with four RBIs as the Abingdon Falcons outlasted Union in a Mountain 7 District slugfest.
Ada Gillenwater (3-for-4, four runs, three Rbis) was also part of the 15-hit onslaught.
Scout Summitt, Hailey Branscomb and Maggie Crabtree added two hits apiece.
"I’m so proud of them," said Abingdon coach Chelsea Campbell. "It was a full group effort of hitting. Our energy was good, and we capitalized on stealing bases. It was a long, hard-fought game that I’m glad we have under our belt."
Aliyah Davidson and Kaylee Rutherford each had two hits for Union.
Wise County Central 9, Lee High 5
Kaelyn Dales went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, while also pitching four hitless innings of relief as the Wise County Central Warriors won a Mountain 7 District clash.
Central overcame an early 5-0 deficit.
Abigail Sturgill’s 2-for-3 effort and Lylah Fleming’s two RBIs were also notable contributions.
Chloe Bledsoe went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Lee, while Taylor Bishop had two hits.
Fort Chiswell 2, George Wythe 1
George Wythe’s Morgan Layne and Fort Chiswell’s Blair Jackson each pitched a two-hitter in the Wythe County pitching duel.
Layne struck out six, while Jackson racked up 15 Ks.
Jenna Ball and Annaleese Kuehl scored the runs for Fort Chiswell.
George Wythe’s only run was scored in the fifth inning as Ashley Layne hit a RBI single to plate Madison Hatcher.
J.I. Burton 3, Ridgeview 2
Jordan Mullins doubled, homered and scored two runs as the J.I. Burton Raiders edged Ridgeview.
Jordan Mooney struck out 12 in pitching a six-hitter.
Mullins had both of Burton’s hits off Ridgeview hurler Bella Viers.
Ava Stanley and Alyssa Kiser each had two hits for the Wolfpack.
John Battle 13, Gate City 2
Hannah Lockhart and Madison Bowery homered as the John Battle Trojans trounced Mountain 7 District archrival Gate City.
Morgan Mumpower went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while Kailee McCroskey (2-for-4, two runs, two RBIs) swung the bat well.
Taylor Childress pitched a four-hitter.
Lauren Monroe had two hits for Gate City. Monroe and Addison Keller scored the runs for the Blue Devils.
Graham 13, Princeton (W.Va.) 2
Riley Harvey homered and Mykah Gregory had four hits as the Graham G-Girls won big.
Rural Retreat 4, Marion 2
Kailey Davidson pitched a five-hitter and also tallied two RBIs as Rural Retreat recorded a non-district victory over Marion.
Kynlee Lilly’s 3-for-3 showing and Elaina Terry’s two RBIs were also vital to the victory.
Marion’s runs were scored by Allie Totten and Jaylin Ferland.
LATE THURSDAY
GIRLS TENNIS
J.I. Burton 9, Union 0
Singles
Eden Shortt def. Madison White, 8-2; Madison Sergent def. Abby Jackson, 8-0; Ava Stough def. Savannah Cole, 8-2; Emily Campbell def. Marissa Mullins, 8-2; Megyn Duff def. Olivia Campbell, 8-1; Jazlyn Colley def. Airianna Fannon, 8-0.
Doubles
Shortt-Sergent def. White-Mullins, 8-1; Stough-E. Campbell def Jackson-Cole, 8-2; Duff-Colley def. Campbell-Fannon, 8-0.
Abingdon 5, Marion 4
Singles
Parker White (M) def. Grayson Woodall, forfeit; Ava Austin (M) def. Eliza Cozart, 8-4; Wrenn Rainero (A) def. Maddie Austin, 8-4; Hope Robinson (M) def. Melanie Bedwell, 8-4; Lola Rainero (A) def. Hailey Watkins, 8-5; Lucy Piper (A) def. Olivia Blevins, 8-5.
Doubles
Woodall-Cozart (A) def. White-A. Austin, 8-5; M. Austin-Robinson (M) def. W. Rainero-L. Rainero, 8-4; Bedwell-Piper (A) def. Watkins-Blevins, 8-2.
