BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
Tug Valley went 3-1 in baseball action, pounding out 50 runs in four games April 14-17.
The Panthers blanked Summers County 11-0 on April 14, thumped Tolsia 15-2 on April 15, dropped a 10-9 walk-off heartbreaker at Phelps on April 16 and answered with a 15-5 win over Westside on April 17.
Tug Valley 11, Summers County 0
The Tug Valley baseball team improved its record to 4-8 on the season with an 11-0 win over Class AA Summers County, April 14 in Summersville.
The Panthers pushed five runs across in the top of the fourth inning and tallied four more in the fifth inning as the game was stopped after five innings due to the mercy rule.
The Panthers outhit the Bobcats 8-1 for the game as pitcher Dawson Richardson fired a one-hitter. He struck out seven and walked two in a five-inning worksheet.
Dawson Richardson also helped his own cause at the plate as he was 2 for 4 with a double, a triple and four RBIs.
Gavin Fitzpatrick was 2 for 2 with one RBI. Gage Whitt doubled and drove in one. Parker Kelly also had a double. Darian Vance had a single and an RBI.
Parker Smith added a single and Jackson Jewell had an RBI for the Panthers.
Tug Valley 15, Tolsia 2
Tug Valley mercy-ruled Tolsia 15-0, April 15 at home on the Don Spence Field in Naugatuck.
Chandler Copley went 4-for-4 in the game. Copley singled in the second inning, tripled in the fourth inning, and then had 2 more singles later in the game.
The Panthers jumped out to a big lead with an eight-run second inning.
Copley stepped on the hill first for Tug Valley. The starting pitcher gave up two hits and one run over three innings, striking out two.
Jackson Jewell appeared in relief for the Panthers.
Tug Valley amassed 14 hits in the game. Jewell and Parker Kelly also collected multiple hits in the game for coach LeeAnn Blankenship’s Panthers.
Christenson, Copley, Ekers, Williamson and Rogers each collected one hit for Tolsia.
Tug improved to 5-8 with the win over their local rival.
Phelps 10, Tug Valley 9
Tug Valley was on the wrong end of a 10-9 walk-off defeat by Phelps (KY), April 16 on the road.
Phelps was down 9-8 in the bottom of the seventh inning when an error scored two runs for the Hornets.
Gage Whitt collected three hits in four at-bats in the loss. Whitt doubled in the first inning, singled in the fifth inning and singled in the seventh inning.
Tug Valley accumulated 10 hits in the game. Chandler Copley and Whitt were tough to handle back-to-back in the lineup as each drove in two runs for the Panthers. Gavin Fitzpatrick collected a pair of hits and stole two bases.
Tug Valley 15, Westside 5
Tug Valley’s Gavin Fitzpatrick drove in five runs and had four hits to lead the Panthers past Class 2A Westside 15-5, April 17 on the road in Wyoming County.
TVHS scored five runs in the second inning to take an 8-1 lead. The Panthers scored five more in the fifth and in the seventh to build their lead.
Dawson Richardson earned the win for the Panthers on the mound. The pitcher gave up just three hits and two runs (one earned). Darian Vance got the save and Parker Smith also saw action on the hill for Tug Valley.
Noah Akers took the loss for Westside.
Tug Valley tallied 18 hits in the game. Fitzpatrick and Whitt were a force together in the lineup, as they each collected four hits for the Panthers. Jackson Jewell, Chandler Copley, Vance and Richardson each collected multiple hits for Tug Valley.