Bulldogs take tourney win
Cami Spencer slides into third base in Richlands win over Graham. Michele Ball
Gage Hylton makes a play. Michele Ball
Baseball
Bulldogs take tourney win
Tournament MVP Walker Patterson went 3-for-3, hit a homer and scored four runs as the Tazewell Bulldogs topped Christiansburg 9-8 to win the 52nd annual Copper Invitational on Saturday.
Tazewell beat Graham, PikeView, Bluefield and Christiansburg to win the event. The Bulldogs began the 2026 baseball season with a 0-4 mark, but have won five of their last six.
"It was a great feeling to win, coming off the start of the season definitely put us as the underdogs for the tournament,” Patterson said. “Especially the championship.”
Patterson, a senior, was the catalyst and hit a solo homer in the fourth inning.
“I had a good feeling against this pitcher [Ethan Wayman] and once I had worked a 3-0 count I had a green light to swing,” Patterson said. “I knew what pitch I was looking for and I got it. This was one of the first home runs I’ve hit where I knew it was gone the second I hit it and it was quite the good feeling.”
Ellis Day went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Wyatt Johnson’s RBI single in the third inning put Tazewell ahead to stay.
“It was amazing to see the guys finally put games together to get a huge team win,” Patterson said.
Mike Catron is in his first season as Tazewell’s head coach.
“With Coach Catron as head coach has definitely been something new,” Patterson said. “An almost entirely new coaching staff is always something that can bring changes. I think they are a good refresher for the program as well as he has been around baseball for years and is very knowledgeable. I think he is a great coach and can continue to develop this program further.”
“I am beyond grateful to be a part of this team and I will continue to do my best to help lead these guys,” Patterson said. “We have a great group of young men on this team constantly working to better themselves with great team chemistry and mindsets.”
Tazewell 203 103 0—9 8 4
Christiansburg 301 103 0—8 6 2
Herndon, Barnett (5) and Roberts. Wayman, Harman (4), Cullop (5) and Bolling. W – Herndon. L – Wayman. S – Barnett. HR – Patterson (T), 4th, none on.
Tigers tear into Graham
Keaton Smith went 3-for-5 with three RBIs as the Honaker Tigers handled Graham 19-5 in earning a fourth-place finish in the Coppinger Invitational.
Kam Beavers also had three hits and drove in two runs, while winning pitcher Kole Reynolds struck out nine over five innings and helped his own cause with two hits.
Landon Schneider (2-for-3, three runs) and Eli McGlothlin (2-for-4, two RBIs) also helped the Tigers improve to 9-2. They go to Patrick Henry on Tuesday for a crucial Hogoheegee District contest.
Cooper Hale had two hits for Graham. The G-Men committed 11 errors.
Honaker 121 152 7—19 17 8
Graham 010 012 1—5 7 11
K. Reynolds, Harris (6) and Beavers. Caldwell, Roberts (4), Shupe (5) and Mullins. W – K. Reynolds. L – Caldwell. HR – none.
Marion edges Tazewell
Colby Davis hit a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Marion a walk-off 11-10 win over Tazewell in a wild Southwest District game.
The Scarlet Hurricanes scored five times in the final inning to turn a 10-6 deficit into a one-run win. The teams combined for 21 runs, 23 hits, 17 errors, 17 strikeouts and nine walks.
Marion (4-7) stopped its five-game losing streak, while snapping Tazewell’s four-game winning streak.
Davis finished 3-for-5, while Will Garrick, Bryson Severt and Caden Hash finished with two hits apiece.
Walker Patterson had two hits and four RBIs for Tazewell (4-5), while Brody Myers, Walker Johnson and Braylen Barnett supplied two hits apiece.
PikeView shuts out Graham
Graham did not muster a hit and struck out 15 times against PikeView pitcher Eli Hilling in a 10-0 Coppinger Invitational loss.
Bulldogs blast Bluefield
Brody Myers drove in three runs as Tazewell ran its winning streak to four games with a 17-2 victory over Bluefield in the Coppinger Invitational.
Braydon Roberts and Ellis Day combined to pitch a three-inning no-hitter. Walker Johnson (two hits, two RBIs) and Braylen Barnett (two hits) also played well for the Bulldogs.
G-Men stop Bluefield
Michael Ganoe helped Graham go as he went 2-for-3, scored three runs and collected four RBIs as Graham blasted rival Bluefield 16-4 in the Coppinger Invitational.
Chaun Dowell’s three RBIs and Cooper Hale’s four runs were also among the highlights for the G-Men.
Tazewell topples PikeView
Walker Johnson hit a tiebreaking two-run single with one out in the top of the seventh inning as the Tazewell Bulldogs posted a 13-11 win over PikeView in the Coppinger Invitational.
Tazewell (3-4) ran its winning streak to three games under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Catron and also avenged two earlier losses to the Panthers.
Braydon Roberts (2-for-3, three runs, three RBIs), Wyatt Johnson (three RBIs), Walker Patterson (two doubles) and Brody Myers (three walks, three runs) also helped Tazewell prevail in the slugfest.
Softball
Blues sweep Wave
Irelyn Osborne had the power as the Richlands Blue Tornado swept a non-district doubleheader from Grundy by scores of 17-0 and 14-0.
Osborne went 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs in the opener, while she homered in the nightcap as well.
AdyMae Reynolds went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Averi Fuller pitched a two-hit shutout in the first game. The Blues pushed across 11 runs in the fifth inning.
Taylor Whitt went 3-for-3 with three RBIs, Braedi Moore scored three runs and Haven Crabtree had two hits to highlight the second game. Justice Hill pitched a two-hitter in that win.
Sophia Belcher and Kailey Underwood had the only hits for Grundy in the first game. The Golden Wave’s two hits came via Belcher and Madison Matney in the nightcap.
Blues blank Virginia High
Averi Fuller tossed a five-inning no-hitter and also homered as the Richlands Blue Tornado trounced Virginia High for a 13-0 Southwest District win.
Fuller struck out five and did not issue a walk in an impressive showing.
Alli Hale and Ava Lester each had two hits and two RBIs for Richlands, while Justice Hill also had two hits.
Kalayah Bristol reached on an error with one out in the top of the first inning and was the only baserunner for Virginia High.
Virginia High 000 00—0 0 3
Richlands 424 3x—13 12 1
Doss and Widener. Fuller and Hill. W – Fuller. L – Doss. HR – Fuller (R), 4th, none on.
G-Girls hammer Gatlinburg-Pittman
KaLeah Ross had two hits and scored three runs as the Graham G-Girls broke out the bats in an 18-6 win over Gatinburg-Pittman in Tennessee.
Stevie Sparks added two hits and two RBIs for the bunch from Bluefield, while Abby Houchins had two hits and Riley Harvey drove in two runs.
Graham scored half its runs in the third inning.
Blues best Canes
Aaelyn Snapp went 3-for-5, homered, tallied five RBIs and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh inning as Tazewell rallied past Marion for a 10-9 Southwest District victory.
Tazewell scored four times in the seventh inning to take the lead for good. Brooke Jordan supplied two hits and two RBIs for the Bulldogs, while Jillian McFarland pitched well in relief.
Akaylia Phipps had three hits and Spencer Parks homered for Marion.
Tazewell pounds Bearcats
Jillian McFarland pitched a two-hitter and Aaelyn Snapp homered as the Tazewell Bulldogs vanquished Virginia High 14-2 in Southwest District play.
Brooke Jordan and Josie McGraw contributed two hits apiece to the victory.
Virginia High got both its runs in the fifth inning as Sarah Page scored on an error and Kaleigh Widener scored on am RBI double off the bat of Kalayah Bristol.
Blues blast G-Girls
Cami Spencer went 4-for-4 and continued her stellar season swinging the bat as the Richlands Blue Tornado topped Graham for a 12-2 Southwest District victory.
Alli Hale (three RBIs), AdyMae Reynolds (2-for-4, three runs, two RBIs) and Justice Hill (two hits) also produced at the plate for the Blues.
Winning pitcher Averi Fuller tossed a three-hitter with eight strikeouts.
Graham led 2-0 after the first inning, but Richlands rolled the rest of the way.
Stevie Sparks and Abby Houchins scored Graham’s runs.
G-Girls edge Grundy
Stevie Sparks went 3-for-3 with two RBIs as the Graham G-Girls edged Grundy for a 6-5 non-district victory.
Bella Kaklis went 2-for-2 and scored three runs for Graham. KaLeah Ross had two hits and Ryleigh West tallied two RBIs for the G-Girls.
Ryliegh Church’s two hits and Madison Matney’s two RBIs were the highlights for Grundy.
Grundy 002 100 2—5 7 1
Graham 101 004 x—6 8 1
Belcher and Looney. Houchins, G. Kaklis (5) and B. Kaklis. W – G. Kaklis. L – Belcher. HR – none.
Soccer
Virginia High tops Tazewell
The two goals scored by Chloe Jarvis highlighted Virginia High’s 5-1 victory over Southwest District foe Tazewell.
Lucy Foy, Jackryn Jackson and Nyellie Valles also found the back of the net.
Virginia High shuts out Richlands
Goalkeeper Caden Price made 11 saves as the Virginia High Bearcats blanked Richlands, 3-0, in a Southwest District match.
Owen Dean scored two goals and assisted on the other score for the Bearcats. Gamble Stevens added a goal and two assists.
