Struggling West dumped by Avery
Apr. 25—GAMEWELL — That elusive second victory didn't pan out for West Caldwell's baseball team.
Unable to match the first win of a week earlier, the Warriors were defeated 10-5 in Monday's rematch with Avery County.
The Warriors (1-21) simply ran into a buzz saw in the pitching department, sending three hurlers to the mound.
"We've got three games this week," West coach Jason Bumgarner said. "One is going to get moved up to Wednesday, and then you're playing that numbers game. That's what happens."
Daniel Price battled for five innings, getting roughed up for nine hits and yielding three earned runs while hitting three batters. He struck out four.
Joshton Blankenship lasted an inning. He served up one hit and allowed three earned runs while walking four.
Ashton Minton then climbed from behind the plate to throw the final inning. He was touched for a hit, with one walk and one strikeout.
Avery (2-16) recorded its first win over a North Carolina team, and surged to a 4-0 advantage in the first inning. Trent Welborn plated a run, Landon Harmon tagged a sacrifice fly and Cole Singleton delivered a two-run single.
None of those runs were earned, after the lead-off batter had reached on an error. West committed four on the afternoon.
"That's baseball," Bumgarner said. "We're young."
Cam Baucom's run-scoring single cut the deficit to 4-1 in the first.
The Vikings extended their cushion to 7-1 in the third. Riley Isaacs hit a run-scoring single and Brooks Berry delivered a two-run single.
West Caldwell pulled within 7-3 in the bottom half. Minton ripped a run-scoring single and a run crossed on a Berry wild pitch.
In the fifth, Landon Martin doubled. He was driven in by Blankenship and the Warriors were within 7-4.
Baucom led off the sixth with a double, and advanced to third base on a Harmon wild pitch, before Dawson Barrett singled him in and West trailed 7-5.
Blankenship loaded the bases on three walks in the seventh and got the hook. Minton then walked in a run, and Ethan Church added a sacrifice fly.
The onslaught was completed with Oak Markland's run-scoring single.
Price scattered four hits and was charged with two earned runs, while fanning four, walking one with a wild pitch and hitting a batter. Harmon gave up one hit and one earned run, with a walk and wild pitch.
Singleton and Berry each batted 3 for 5. Markland and Bryson Whitley each went 2 for 3, Isaacs was 2 for 4.
The Vikings stranded 12 baserunners and made four errors.
Martin and Baucom were each 2 for 3. Martin also stole three bases and scored two runs.
Blankenship reached safely in all four plate appearances, three times on errors. He scored twice and was gunned down attempting to steal third in the fifth.
Barrett was thrown on a steal attempt in the fourth.
"We've got three seniors, and the rest are freshmen and sophomores," Bumgarner said. "It's been hard, but we're getting through it. We're getting better."
