JVs can’t overcome errors in loss to Reagan

Published 8:43 am Thursday, March 31, 2022

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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

The magic and fun from the long winning streak – which included 11-10 and 5-4 wins over East Forsyth and Alexander Central, respectively – were gone last week for Davie’s JV baseball team.

The two games against Reagan were dismal. Davie had twice as many errors (10) as hits (five) in the two games.

Reagan 4, Davie 0

The War Eagles came into the March 22 home game averaging 8.4 runs per game and riding a six-game winning streak, but they were smothered by Reagan pitcher Connor Berry, who went all seven innings and shoved a 3-hitter.

The War Eagles’ poor defense added insult to injury. They made seven errors.

“We had been hitting real well to make up for any errors,” said assistant coach Ty Woodring, who filled in for a sick Sam Wyrick. “We just couldn’t figure out their guy on the mound. The difference is they didn’t make a lot of errors and we did.”

The War Eagles had only a few chances to make something happen against Berry, and on two occasions they were unlucky.

With Ty Goodson and Carson Queen aboard with no outs in the first inning, Hunter Daywalt hit a soft fly between short and left. The left fielder made the catch and threw to second for a double play.

“Ty was just trying to get a good jump so he could score from second,” Woodring said. “The guy made a good catch.”

In the second, Larson Stem walked with two outs and Kason Stewart singled. But Berry coaxed a comebacker with runners at the corners to preserve his 1-0 lead.

Stem opened the Davie fifth with a single, but Berry retired the next three. Queen started the sixth with a walk, but he was erased when Daywalt lined out to the first baseman, who stepped on the bag for a double play.

“Right to the first baseman,” Woodring said. “If it gets by him, we’re sitting there with runners on second and third (with the score 3-0).”

Queen (1-2, walk), Stem (1-1, two walks) and Stewart (1-2) had the Davie hits.

Davie’s Connor Berg did all he could on the mound. He pitched a two-hitter for six innings, but left with nothing to show for it. All three runs off him were unearned. Daywalt pitched the final inning.

Davie made two errors in the second, when Reagan scored its first run. In the third, two Davie errors were followed by a two-run double. In the seventh, a two-out error led to the final run.

“Connor pitches with a lot of emotion,” Woodring said. “He got a little frustrated with the errors, but he would turn around and respond every single time. He would get into a little trouble or was forced into trouble because of errors, but he was able to get out of it.”

Reagan 9, Davie 2

The rematch in Pfafftown on March 25 was a dud. The War Eagles had two hits, three errors and watched Reagan break up a scoreless game in the third with seven runs.

This time Davie (6-3) was shut down by Jackson Penfold, who pitched six innings and worked around four walks.

Reagan’s huge third included five hits, two walks and an error. Davie’s hits came from Daywalt (1-3, RBI) and Hunter Shutt (1-1). Goodson and Craig McBride had two walks each.