The William Byrd baseball team will leave the state for the second time
this season when the Terriers head to Tennessee for three games in the “Tribe
Classic” in Bristol this weekend. Byrd previously played in an event in
Greensboro, NC over spring break.
The Terriers will play two games on Friday, taking on host Tennessee
High at 3:30 pm and Elder High at 5:45 pm. Both games will be played at the
Tennessee High field in Bristol. On Saturday Byrd is at Dobyns-Bennett High for
an early game at 10:30 am.
The Terriers head to Rocky Top with a 6-3 record after completing a
season sweep of Blue Ridge District rival William Fleming on Tuesday. This one
was in Roanoke as Byrd took an 18-0 win, outscoring the Colonels by a combined
score of 54-0 in their two meetings. Once again, Byrd coach Jason Taylor did his
best not to embarrass the struggling Fleming team.
“Several starters took the game off,” he said. “It gave some of the players
that have had limited playing time a chance to be on the field.”
Landon Haithcock tied a single game record with four singles and he had
two runs batted in and scored twice. Noah Thompson had two doubles and three
RBIs, Logan Beavers had two hits and drove in three and Jarrett Shepherd scored
twice and drew two of the team’s 16 walks for the game.
Five different pitchers threw one inning each for Byrd, Cooper Minnix,
Torin Bundy, Israel Hairston, Keller Spraker and Haithcock. They combined to
strike out 12 batters among the 15 possible outs before the game was called by
slaughter rule.
Last Saturday afternoon at Hidden Valley it wasn’t as easy, as the Terriers
dropped a 4-3 game to the homestanding Titans. Brogan Dent got the start on the
mound and pitched five solid innings but was the victim of three unearned runs.
He struck out four and walked three before Blake Glover pitched the sixth.
“Brogan is pitching well, we just have not been clean behind him,” said
Taylor. “We had two walks and two errors in the inning they scored three
runs. Not a good combination.”
Byrd was shut out through six innings before a late rally in the top of the
seventh on a three run homer by Ian Burnett into the leftfield trees. Hairston had
three hits, including two doubles, but the Terriers wasted several opportunities to
score and it cost them the ballgame.
“We had six stolen bases, but two baserunning mistakes that hurt us at key
times,” said Taylor. “We continue to be our own worst enemy. We committed six
errors and Hidden Valley took advantage of our mistakes. They are playing well
right now and with confidence.
“We will get to that point. The kids’ will, desire and the ‘no quit’ effort is
strong. When we put it together, look out.”
The Terriers go to Franklin County next Tuesday.
