Warriors get best of Highlanders in doubleheader
Published 9:35 am Monday, March 27, 2023
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Star Photo/Ron Marvel Aiden Paul prepares to fire home during recent action on Warrior Hill.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel The Happy Valley Warriors have started 5-2 on the season and will host the Unicoi County Blue Devils Tuesday night.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
The Happy Valley Warriors and the Cloudland Highlanders met in a Friday evening doubleheader for county bragging rights on Warrior Hill.
Game 1
Happy Valley 13 Cloudland 3
Cloudland jumped out to a 3-2 lead after scampered home on a Warrior miscue to take a third inning lead. Gabe McDougald and Jamie Esterline responded with a couple of fourth inning doubles to retake the lead at 7-3. The Warriors would continue their rally in the fourth when Tucker Shoun would rope a single to right field and score Esterline and Bryce Garret. Tucker Shoun would try to stretch his single into a double but get tagged out at second to end the inning, but the damage had been done as the Warriors plated eight in the inning to take a 10-3 lead. Levi Taylor and Ty Johnson would also have hits in the openers for the Warriors, while Jonah Tomberlin and Thomas Job would both have hits for the Highlanders.
Johnson and Tucker Shoun would combine for no earned runs on the night and ten strikeouts, surrendering just three hits. Camden Peppers would only surrender five runs for the Highlanders and have eight strikeouts. Both teams would struggle with walks on the day, surrendering a total of 12.
Game 2
Happy Valley 12 Highlanders 0
Colton Johnson would look sharp on the mound for the Warriors giving up just one hit and no runs with six strikeouts in the bookend game. McDougald would go 3-3 with three RBIs in the second game with a triple helping lead the Warriors to a seven run third inning. Warrior catcher Carlos Lopez would chip in a double to help pace the scoring efforts. Highlander Caleb Ledford would pick up a hit for the visitors. The Highlanders will next travel to play Unaka Thursday night, while the Warriors will host Unicoi County.
After the game, Warrior Coach Nat Treadway would talk about the respect he has for what the Highlanders staff is trying to do in reigniting the baseball program at Cloudland High School; “hats off to them in getting that program going again and turning that program around” he also talked about his program and what they are trying to build, “we are very young and this was a long week, we played 4 of 5 nights this week it was good to see them mentally prepared for tonight.”
