Fort Chiswell…The Fort Chiswell Pioneers got a five-hit shut out pitched by Konner Rotenizer in his first start of the season. Rotenizer struck out three and walked no one as he pitched all six innings of a 10-0 slaughter-rule win over the Narrows Green Wave.

Eight different Pioneers scored a run and six of their starters had at least one hit. Tanner Bailey scored twice and knocked in two. Jacob Coake also had two RBIs. Chance Davis has two hits and scored twice and also had a run batted in.

Narrows’ only threat of the game came in fourth as Zach Robertson singled and then Landon Neal singled to left, but Robertson got thrown out as he rounded second base for the second out of the inning. Neal had two of their five hits. Robertson, Ian Lowe and Derrick Stinson had one hit each.

Pioneers (9-1) scored four runs in the bottom of the third to go up 4-0. Bailey started the inning with a sharp single to right. Chance Davis then singled to left and Sean Morgan hit to left loading the bases. Jacob Coake then came up with a double down the right field line scoring Bailey and Davis. Leighton Dunford would ground out to score Morgan; Aaron Crawford’s single would drive in Coake. They would then score six times in the bottom of the sixth with Crawford getting his third single of the contest. Rotenizer then drew a base on balls, and Cody Burkes would single to score Crawford. Bailey would then knock in two to make it 7-0. After a Narrows (5-7) error put runners on second and third, Davis would knock in Bailey for 8-0 score. With runners on second and third and no one out Morgan swung and missed on a third strike that got by the catcher. The catcher then threw to first, but his throw would hit Morgan in the back as the ball went into right field scoring both runners to end the game.

Fort Chiswell head coach Derrick Jackson said, ”I thought we got timely hitting today. Konner (Rotenizer) pitched real well for us. He threw strikes and I think he didn’t walk a Narrows batter.” When asked about being 9-1 at the half way mark of the regular season, Coach Jackson remarked, ”I’m pleased with how we are improving. We played errorless ball today, and we have and continue to improve. That’s all we can ask of the players.”

The Pioneers will be back in action Friday as they travel to Rural Retreat. First pitch scheduled for 5:00 pm, weather permitting.

R H E LOB

Fort Chiswell 10 10 0 5

Narrows 0 5 3 3

Fort Chiswell – WP – Rotenizer ( 1-0)

Narrows – LP – Lowe

Fort Chiswell…Playing on an overcast afternoon, the Fort Chiswell Pioneers got clutch pitching from Dallas Beasley as they defeated their county rival the Maroons of George Wythe 6-3.

Beasley went five and two-thirds innings giving up just six hits and striking out seven for the win. He also had two hits and scored twice. Tanner Bailey and Aaron Crawford both scored twice and each had a hit. Freshman Leighton Dunford knocked in two runs while Cody Burkes, Sean Morgan and Chance Davis all had an RBI. Davis, who came in to save the game, went one and one-third innings striking out three. He drew two walks and had a big sacrifice fly.

The Maroons started Avery Mabe, a freshman who was supposedly clocked at between 85-89 miles an hour throwing, was wild as he walked eight Fort Chiswell batters in just two and two-thirds innings. He took the loss as he gave up three runs and struck out six.

Fort Chiswell scored in their first at ball as Dunford drove in Beasley on a grounder. George Wythe would battle back to tie in the second on a Brandon Collins double, a passed ball and a single to right by T J Martin. The Pioneers would go back in their half of the second as Crawford drew a lead-off walk, and then three walks later, he scored. They would then go up 3-1 in the bottom of the third. This time with two outs Crawford would walk, steal second and score on a Burkes single. Up 3-2 going into bottom of the fourth the Pioneers (8-1) would push another run across with Bailey scoring on a wild pitch.

Geo. Wythe (8-4) would again cut their deficit to one run in the sixth with two outs. Avery Goins would hit a fastball over the left center field fence for a solo homer.

Fort Chiswell would answer again in the their half of the sixth scoring twice as Bailey hit a gapper to right center and Beasley singled. Davis’s sac fly scored Bailey to make it 5-3. After a Maroon error, Dunford with two outs would hit a shot to left field that bounced over the fence for a ground rule double scoring Beasley.

“I thought Beasley pitched extremely well as did Davis for us,“ said Fort Chiswell head coach Derrick Jackson. “I thought we battled the whole game and we always answered them with our own score. I’m proud of how we battled. I’m in my 10th year here as head baseball coach and they (Maroons) have only beaten us once.” Coach then added, ”We’re a pretty young team and still improving. Cody Burkes, Leighton Dunford and Aaron Crawford really came through in this game.“

Fort Chiswell will be back in action today (Wednesday) as they host the Narrows Green Wave. First pitch is slated for 5:00 pm, weather permitting.