Watauga baseball battles back, upends Tigers in extra innings to advance to second round

Watauga’s ninth-straight victory sets up the fourth spring meeting with South Caldwell on Friday night in Hudson. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

“There is no quit in them; it was another game where we got down early, but we get on base. Top of the order gets on base, run the bases hard and caused some havoc around the base paths,” said Watauga head baseball coach Sean Burroughs. “We got a big couple of hits to drive in some runs, and that's just what they've done these last three weeks.”

The No. 15 Tigers (18-8) looked to be on the verge of advancing during their final at-bat as they had bases loaded with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh after Braden Bradford scored on an errant throw to tie the game, 4-4.

Evan Burroughs, who had come in relief of Daniel Jones, retired the next three Ragsdale players to get out of the inning without further damage after Ryan Hendricks grounded out to shortstop Maddox Greene, sending the game to extra innings.

“We lost in the first round last year (a 3-2 decision to Davie County in 12 innings); knowing how that felt, I really didn’t want to lose this year, so being able to lean on last year’s experience really helped us,” said Burroughs. “I just wanted to come in and throw strikes, and we fielded the ball well to get out of there.”

Watauga (17-11) put itself in good shape in the top of the eighth after J.T. Cook drew a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position on a well-placed sacrifice bunt from Dillon Zaragoza.

Miller Hankins came on as a pinch runner for Cook and after Hendricks struck out Brett Vannoy for the second out of the inning, the sophomore scored after J.J. Everett reached on an error; Chase Gillin added an insurance run with an RBI single to center to score Everett.

Gillin, the sophomore catcher, admits he hasn’t had the best season on offense this year (the base hit was his first since the beginning of April) but is grateful he can contribute in such a pivotal spot and do it with his dad, App State Director of Athletics Doug Gillin, looking on.

“I had a one-two count and I was just trying to stay through a curveball and find a gap somewhere,” said Chase Gillin. “He’s been there for me all season, even when I haven't done great, but I know him just being there for me has meant a lot.”

Burroughs retired the side in order, including a strikeout of Bradford for the final out, to pick up the save.

The No. 18 Pioneers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second with an RBI single from Vannoy. The junior designated hitter went 2-for-3 at the plate — the only player on either side with multiple hits.

Ragsdale responded with a two-out rally in the bottom half of the inning in which three runs were scored — Bradford (hit by pitch) Owen Robinson (walk) and Dillon Bullard (walk) all plated runners without a base hit.

With the bases loaded, Jones came on to relieve starter Everett Gryder, and the sophomore stopped the bleeding with a Carter Dulin line-out to Maddox Greene.

Jones kept the Tiger bats at bay, despite issuing five walks, as he limited them to just one hit — the Hendricks single to leadoff the seventh — and struck out seven with no earned runs in 4 1/3 innings to earn the win.

Jones felt confident that his teammates would back him up when he came in in such a tight spot.

“Coach told me to go out and play my game. He had full trust in me, so I just tried to throw strikes, and it worked for me,” said Jones. “I started to trust my defense more as the game went, and we started to find our bats, and I found the strike zone, so I just let it rip, made them hit it.”

Robinson limited Watauga through the first four innings and pitched well for the most part before being pulled with two outs in the sixth after reaching the NCHSAA-mandated pitch count.

The senior lefty struck out five and scattered six hits with four walks but took the loss.

Watauga got Robinson in the top of the fifth after Burroughs drew a one-out walk and Greene singled. After the two moved up 90 feet on a double steal, Jake Blanton delivered a two-run single to right to tie the game.

The junior center fielder advanced to third after an error in right field and scored to take the lead after a Cade Keller fielder’s choice.

#18 Watauga baseball 6, #15 Ragsdale 4 (8 innings)

Watauga 010 0130 02 — 6 7 1

Ragsdale 030 000 10 — 4 4 2

PITCHING

Watauga

Everett Gryder — 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Daniel Jones — 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 7 K - WIN

Evan Burroughs — 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K - SAVE

Ragsdale

Owen Robinson — 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K - LOSS

Ryan Hendricks — 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

BATTING

Watauga

Brett Vannoy — 2 H, 3 AB, R, RBI

Chase Gillin — 1 H, 2 AB, RBI

Jake Blanton — 1 H, 4 AB, R, 2 RBI

Maddox Greene — 1 H, 4 AB, R

Dillon Zaragoza — 1 H, 2 AB, R

Evan Burroughs — 1 H, 3 AB, R

Cade Keller — RBI

Ragsdale

Thristan Figueroa — 1 H, 4 AB, 2B

Dillon Bullard — 1 H, 2 AB, RBI

Braylon Louis — 1 H, 3 AB, 1 R

Ryan Hendricks — 1 H, 4 AB, 1 R

Owen Robinson — 0 H, 2 AB, RBI