The William Byrd baseball team rallied to beat Cave Spring in the Terriers’ season
opener last Friday. Byrd took a 12-8 win at Walthall Park.
The season didn’t start off great for the Byrdmen, as Cave Spring scored four runs in
the top of the first and a single run in the second to open a 5-0 lead. Byrd rallied in the
bottom of the second to tie the game at 5-5, then exploded to put a crooked seven on the
board in the bottom of the fifth. Cave Spring answered with three in the top of the sixth
but the Terriers were able to hang on for the win.
“There was good baseball, bad baseball, bad coaching, good coaching, good
umpiring and bad umpiring,” said Byrd coach Jason Taylor of the opening game. “The
hotdogs were only good, not bad. Hotdogs are never bad.”
Brogan Dent picked up the win in relief for Byrd, coming on with two out in the
fourth. Blake Glover started and pitched the first three innings, giving up five runs of
which three were earned. He struck out four and walked three.
Brenin Witcher came on in the fourth and pitched two-thirds of an inning with one
strikeout. Dent relieved with two outs and the bases loaded and got out of the jam, then
finished the game to pick up the win. He went three and a third innings and allowed three
runs, of which just one was earned, and struck out four. Byrd pitchers walked six and hit
four Cave Spring batters.
Offensively, Kam McKee and Hayden Eads led Byrd with two hits each. They had
back-to-back hits in both innings Byrd scored, the second and fifth. Both Terriers scored
twice, as did leadoff man Israel Hairston and Keller Spraker. Ian Burnett and Torin
Bundy had two runs batted in each.
Byrd showed good speed on the bases, stealing seven bags. Hairston, McKee and
Eads had two swipes each.
The Terriers were back in action on Wednesday for their Blue Ridge District opener
against Lord Botetourt but results were too late for publication. On Friday Byrd will host
Hidden Valley in a jayvee-varsity doubleheader with the jayvees at 5 pm and the varsity
at approximately 7 p.m.
Next week is spring break for Roanoke County but the Terriers will be playing ball.
Byrd will have three games in Greensboro on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
