Pioneer drops opener to slugging Rossville

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Baseball

Rossville 15, Pioneer 1 (5 innings, Monday): Pioneer’s Jaxson Merrick had a two-out RBI single in the first inning, but host Rossville answered with 15 unanswered runs to hand the Panthers a season-opening loss Monday.

Hunter Stover also had a hit for Pioneer.

Pioneer got the leadoff man on base in the second, third and fifth innings but did not score.

Pioneer pitchers walked 13 batters and also hit two. 

Lane Weldy took the loss, allowing six hits and six runs in 2 ⅓ innings. He walked four and struck out three. Charles Grandstaff, Carter Carmichael and Adric Lee followed him to the mound. 

Levi Darnell hit two homers and drove in five runs for Rossville.

Rossville 15, Pioneer 1 (5 innings)

Pioneer 100 00 – 1 2 0

Rossville 016 8X – 15 10 0

WP – Wainscott (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)

LP – Lane Weldy (2 ⅓ IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K)

2B – Barnes (RV), Britt (RV), Wainscott (RV)

HR – Darnell 2 (RV)

Pioneer committed 5 errors in loss to Tri-County

Layman, Grandstaff, Merrick all collect RBIs

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Baseball

Tri-County 6, Pioneer 3 (Tuesday): Jayson Layman singled and walked twice and drove in a run, but visiting Pioneer lost to sectional rival Tri-County Tuesday.

Charles Grandstaff also had a hit and an RBI, and Jaxson Merrick had his second RBI in as many games. Lane Weldy singled and walked and scored a run.

Pioneer pitchers combined to walk seven and hit four batters, and Pioneer also committed five errors, which led to six unearned runs for the Cavaliers.

Layman pitched three innings and allowed one hit and two runs. He walked four and struck out six. Gabe Scott allowed three hits and four runs in two innings. He walked two and fanned three. Tyler Erickson pitched a hitless sixth with one walk.

Tyler Burns had three of Tri-County’s four hits. Rhys Barton pitched two hitless innings of relief.

Tri-County 6, Pioneer 3

Pioneer 000 012 0 – 3 3 5

Tri-County 002 040 X – 6 4 0

WP – Barton (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)

LP – Jayson Layman (3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K)

S – Drew Foster (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K)