Linnville's home run lifts Pioneers
by Steve Behr Sports Editor
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com
After losing three games in the final innings, Watauga finally won a late-inning game.
Max Linnville belted a one-out, walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete Watauga's comeback 5-4 victory over Fred T. Foard in a Northwestern Conference showdown Friday night at Watauga's field.
Linnville's home run came on the heels of a two-run rally by the Pioneers in the seventh inning that tied the game 4-4. Cal Hardee and David Martin both scored on a fielder's choice by Tyler Jones to tie the game.
"He threw me a high fastball and when I was on deck, I thought how cool it would be to hit one over the fence," Linnville said. "It happened. It's definitely a dream come true."
Watauga got off to a slow start when Foard took a 3-0 lead with help from a towering two-run home run by Jacob Bradshaw. Mitchell Henderson doubled and eventually scored to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.
Martin answered with a two-run homer to center field to cut the Tigers' lead in half. Matt Proffitt, who took over for starter Ryan Turner at the start of the second inning, kept Foard scoreless the rest of the game.
Watauga coach Pete Hardee said Turner's arm was sore, but Hardee did not know that until after the game had started. Turner threw two pitches to the leadoff batter before Hardee went with Proffitt, who was playing centerfield, but who warmed up in the bullpen during the Pioneers' two-run first inning.
"I watched him in the first couple of pitches, even though one of them was a strike, I didn't feel he was right," Hardee said of Turner. "Matt Proffitt came in and did a whale of a job. That's the toughest thing for a reliever to do, come into a 4-0 game and know that you can't allow another run. He came in and did a good job."
Proffitt pitched six innings, giving up just one hit and striking out eight. Dylan Norris pitched the eighth inning, striking out two, and picking up the pitching decision.
"I thought (Proffitt) was getting tired in the last inning and that Dylan could get us out of it," Hardee said. "Dylan's a bulldog mentality. I'm telling you, that guy's tough."
Linnville, Hardee and Martin each had two hits for the Pioneers. Foard's Robert McKinney, whose fastball tops the 90-miles per hour mark, allowed Martin's home run, but little else. He walked five Pioneers, but struck out 11, several after the Pioneers chased pitches high either in the strike zone our out of it.
Kyle Yoder took the loss after coming on in relief of McKinney, who threw 33 pitches in the first inning and 85 by the fifth.
"I was preaching to them all game lay off the high pitch," Hardee said. "I know it's hard to lay off that high pitch because you see it good. If we could have laid off the high pitch, we could have got him out sooner."
"He was throwing around the low 90s," Linnville said. "It was hard to catch up with the ball. We knew if we stuck in there and hung around and get them to change pitchers, we would have a shot at the end of the game."
The win was welcomed, especially after the Pioneers suffered a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to South Caldwell just two days before.
"That was a huge win coming back," Linnville said. "After losing to South Caldwell, we can still win. After that eighth inning at South Caldwell, it was tough and I knew we would have to step up and do our job this game."
Watauga's jayvee team hammered Foard 14-2 after taking a 9-0 lead.
Watauga 5, Fred T. Foard 4
Foard 400 000 00 - 4 5 4
Watauga 200 000 21 - 5 8 3
McKinney, Yoder (6) Bradshaw. Turner, Proffitt (2), Norris (8) and Martin. W-Norris (2-1, L-Yoder (0-1). LOB-Foard 9, Watauga 10. 2B-Foard, Henderson. HR-Foard, Bradshaw; Watauga-Martin, Linnville. SH-Foard, Fulbright; Watauga, Stanley, Turner. SB-Foard, Dickens. HBP-Foard, Fullbright (by Norris).
sports@wataugademocrat.com
After losing three games in the final innings, Watauga finally won a late-inning game.
Max Linnville belted a one-out, walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete Watauga's comeback 5-4 victory over Fred T. Foard in a Northwestern Conference showdown Friday night at Watauga's field.
Linnville's home run came on the heels of a two-run rally by the Pioneers in the seventh inning that tied the game 4-4. Cal Hardee and David Martin both scored on a fielder's choice by Tyler Jones to tie the game.
"He threw me a high fastball and when I was on deck, I thought how cool it would be to hit one over the fence," Linnville said. "It happened. It's definitely a dream come true."
Watauga got off to a slow start when Foard took a 3-0 lead with help from a towering two-run home run by Jacob Bradshaw. Mitchell Henderson doubled and eventually scored to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.
Martin answered with a two-run homer to center field to cut the Tigers' lead in half. Matt Proffitt, who took over for starter Ryan Turner at the start of the second inning, kept Foard scoreless the rest of the game.
Watauga coach Pete Hardee said Turner's arm was sore, but Hardee did not know that until after the game had started. Turner threw two pitches to the leadoff batter before Hardee went with Proffitt, who was playing centerfield, but who warmed up in the bullpen during the Pioneers' two-run first inning.
"I watched him in the first couple of pitches, even though one of them was a strike, I didn't feel he was right," Hardee said of Turner. "Matt Proffitt came in and did a whale of a job. That's the toughest thing for a reliever to do, come into a 4-0 game and know that you can't allow another run. He came in and did a good job."
Proffitt pitched six innings, giving up just one hit and striking out eight. Dylan Norris pitched the eighth inning, striking out two, and picking up the pitching decision.
"I thought (Proffitt) was getting tired in the last inning and that Dylan could get us out of it," Hardee said. "Dylan's a bulldog mentality. I'm telling you, that guy's tough."
Linnville, Hardee and Martin each had two hits for the Pioneers. Foard's Robert McKinney, whose fastball tops the 90-miles per hour mark, allowed Martin's home run, but little else. He walked five Pioneers, but struck out 11, several after the Pioneers chased pitches high either in the strike zone our out of it.
Kyle Yoder took the loss after coming on in relief of McKinney, who threw 33 pitches in the first inning and 85 by the fifth.
"I was preaching to them all game lay off the high pitch," Hardee said. "I know it's hard to lay off that high pitch because you see it good. If we could have laid off the high pitch, we could have got him out sooner."
"He was throwing around the low 90s," Linnville said. "It was hard to catch up with the ball. We knew if we stuck in there and hung around and get them to change pitchers, we would have a shot at the end of the game."
The win was welcomed, especially after the Pioneers suffered a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to South Caldwell just two days before.
"That was a huge win coming back," Linnville said. "After losing to South Caldwell, we can still win. After that eighth inning at South Caldwell, it was tough and I knew we would have to step up and do our job this game."
Watauga's jayvee team hammered Foard 14-2 after taking a 9-0 lead.
Watauga 5, Fred T. Foard 4
Foard 400 000 00 - 4 5 4
Watauga 200 000 21 - 5 8 3
McKinney, Yoder (6) Bradshaw. Turner, Proffitt (2), Norris (8) and Martin. W-Norris (2-1, L-Yoder (0-1). LOB-Foard 9, Watauga 10. 2B-Foard, Henderson. HR-Foard, Bradshaw; Watauga-Martin, Linnville. SH-Foard, Fulbright; Watauga, Stanley, Turner. SB-Foard, Dickens. HBP-Foard, Fullbright (by Norris).