Fort claims regional title
The Fort Chiswell Varsity Baseball Team finally solved the puzzle against the Auburn Eagles on Wednesday in the Region C Baseball Championship as they defeated the Eagles 4 to 3 in eight innings. Auburn had had the Pioneers number in the Championship Game the past two years and it looked like it would be the same story as the boys from Riner plated a run in the top of the first on a Colin Roark single and had other runners on in the inning, however, FC starting pitcher Isaac Haislip settled in and started pitching what turned out to be a gem in the title contest as he would go on and give up only six hits and three runs (one earned) over six innings.
Cooper Davis would tie the match up in the bottom of the first with a sac fly and Mac Phillips would give the Pioneers a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second on a sharp single. Owen Jackson also singled in the inning and was thrown out at home on the Phillips' hit to keep the score at 2-1. Eli Eversole would add another run to the scoreboard for the Fort in the bottom of the third on a single down the left field line.
Fort Chiswell held on to the 3-1 lead behind the strong arm of Haislip until the top of the sixth when Braxton Pettus laid down a sacrifice bunt which plated the tying run. Haislip kept his composure as he lasted through the sixth inning before he ran out of pitches on the count bringing on Pioneer left hander Eli Eversole. The tall reliever picked up where Haislip left off, allowing zero hits and zero runs during the exciting last two stanzas. Eversole would also notch two big hits in the contest as did Mac Phillips but there was no bigger hit than the one that came off of Isaac Haislip's bat in the bottom of the eighth inning with bases loaded and two outs as the ball flew into right field plating the winning run and giving the Fort the Region C Championship.
Many players came up big for the Fort in this one such as the two sac bunts by Cooper Reynolds that moved runners in scoring position, the two stolen bases by Owen Jackson, and the clutch catches by Brady Moore in the outfield all helped the Pioneers have a winning outcome. FC scattered many hits in the win as Eversole, Phillips, Spencer Moser, Jackson, Musser, Cam Ward, and Haislip all recorded hits. Eversole, Haislip, Phillips, and Davis all earned key RBIs. All of these key little pieces added up to victory and raised the Fort Chiswell overall record to 18 wins and 4 losses on the year but more importantly allowed the Pioneers to host their first ever home 1A State Quarterfinal game. Usually, the boys have to be road warriors when it comes to the state playoffs but not this year as they will host the Chilhowie Warriors on Tuesday at 3 PM at Fort Chiswell Baseball Field where FC has not lost a game since last year. Good luck to the boys from the Fort as they will attempt to make another run to the 1A VHSL Title Game.
