Fort Chiswell starting season strong
Patrick Henry's Carter Lester slides into third base as Rural Retreat's Trevor Shelton leaps up for the catch in the Region 1D semifinals game at UVA-Wise last season.
George Wythe’s Caroline Harris.
Baseball
 After finishing last year as the Class 1A Runner-up in the State the Fort Chiswell Varsity Baseball Team looks to be pretty solid again this year as they have opened the season with three decisive victories over Bland 14-2, Mount Airy 9-3, and Richlands 8-3.
Senior Spencer Moser, Sophomore Owen Jackson, and Sophomore Cooper Reynolds have each notched four hits for the Pioneers in the three game span. Pitching has also been very strong for the Fort as Senior Isaac Haislip, Sophomore Cam Ward, Junior Eli Eversole, and Moser have all made solid appearances in the FC victories.Â
Kam Ward struck out six batters over three innings of work during the Bland game while only surrendering two earned runs off of four hits. Ward also did it with the bat vs. the Bears as he finished the contest going 2 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Cooper Reynolds also stood tall at the plate going 2 for 4 with two stolen bases and three RBI's.
Eli Eversole scrapped the win against a tough Richlands team and was relieved by Ward and Moser. Brady Moore reached base all three times on the Blue Tornadoes and scored two runs and knocked in two. Mac Phillips and Owen Jackson each went 2 for 4 at the plate combining for three RBI's as the one two punch at the top of the Pioneers batting lineup.Â
Isaac Haislip led the charge in the Mount Airy game as he struck out seven in 3.2 innings on the mound while only giving up two runs. Eli Eversole notched two hits on the Bears while Mac Phillips reached base all three times, with three stolen bases, three runs scored, and two RBIs. Cooper Davis also had a solid day going 1 for 4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBIs.Â
With the wins the Pioneers open the season at 3 wins and 0 losses. Not bad considering playing in the 1A State Championship Basketball Game just a week ago and just deciding to start the baseball season with everyone else. Looks like it will be another fun group to come out and watch at the Fort this year. Â
Galax gets past George Wythe
Caden Underwood went 3-for-5 with two doubles and scored five runs as the Galax Maroon Tide outlasted George Wythe 19-13 in a Mountain Empire District slugfest.
Cade Bralley and Brayden Frazier each had three hits for GW with Frazier and Ethan Bement finishing with three RBIs apiece.
Galax 015 216 4—19 12 2
George Wythe 045 010 3—13 12 8
Davis, Hanks (3) and Hicks. C. Bement, Bralley (3), E. Bement (6) and Frazier. W – Hanks. L – Bralley. HR – none.
Fort Chiswell pounds Rural Retreat
Owen Jackson and Spencer Moser each collected three hits a piece, as the Fort Chiswell Pioneers dispatched the Rural Retreat Indians 13-1 in a non-district county rivalry game. Jackson singled in the first inning and doubled twice in the second stanza. FC plated seven runs in the big second inning on hits from Mac Phillips, Brody Musser, Cooper Reynolds, Moser, and Jackson. Â
Isaac Haislip earned the win for the Fort on the mound as the senior right hander surrendered only one hit and one unearned run. Haislip also retired seven Indians by strikeout in his two innings of work. Moser and Jackson came on in relief for Fort Chiswell as the Pioneers improved to 4 wins and 0 losses on the year.
Rural Retreat (1-1) was paced by Trever Shelton and Brody Childress who each collected two hits in the loss. Â
Eastside blasts Rural Retreat
Landon Pannell and Aiden Sexton each had three hits as Eastside recorded a 16-8 win over the Rural Retreat Indians.
Austin Howard’s four RBIs were also notable for the Spartans, while Keldan Hamilton (two hits, two RBIs) and Brandon Edwards (three RBIs) also contributed to a 15-hit outburst.
Eastside trailed 5-4 after one inning.
The Spartans seized control with a six-run fifth inning.
Dawson Williams and Trever Shelton each scored two runs for Rural Retreat. The Indians committed seven errors.
Eastside 402 460 0—16 15 4
Rural Retreat 500 300 x—8 4 7
Pannell, Sexton (2), Clay (4), K. Hamilton (5) and Howard. Childers, Shelton (4), Williams (4), Gibson (5) and Haga. W – Sexton. L – Shelton. HR – none.
Â
Canes take high-scoring win from GW
Caden Hutton had four RBIs and was also the winning pitchers as Marion outslugged George Wythe for a 20-10 non-district victory.
The Scarlet Hurricanes (2-2) also received three RBIs from Brent Tolbert. They scored eight runs in the fourth inning to seize control.
Peyton Ratcliffe and Ben Garrison each contributed two hits to the win.
Cade Bralley had two hits for GW, including a home run. The Maroons (0-3) struck out 12 times, committed five errors and have been outscored 45-23 this season.
Marion 060 86—20 10 3
George Wythe 204 04—10 8 5
Ratcliffe, Hutton (3) and Tolbert. Doyle, Sisk (2), Frazier (4) and Burks. W – Hutton. L – Sisk. HR – Bralley (GW), 5th, one on (inside-the-park).
Softball
Â
Maroons pound Marion
Â
Morgan Layne drove in four runs as the George Wythe Maroons improved to 3-0 by mashing Marion 13-3 in a non-district clash.
Madison Hatcher added three RBIs, while Madalyn Morris drove in a couple of runs. Caroline Harris pitched a five-hitter.
GW has outscored its first three foes – Rural Retreat, Galax and Marion – by an aggregate count of 34-8.
Sadie Amos led Marion with two hits.
Maroons blank Tide
Morgan Layne pitched a one-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts as the George Wythe Maroons rolled to a 10-0 Mountain Empire District win over Galax.
Catherine Harris and Madison Hatcher homered for GW, which is now 2-0. Harris, Avery Cline and Brooklyn Ross finished with two hits apiece.
Madison Sluss had the only hit for Galax.
Galax 000 00—0 1 1
George Wythe 117 1x—10 11 2
Plant and Bouchard. Layne and J. Faulkner. W – Layne (2-0). L – Plant. HR – Harris (GW), 3rd, none on; Hatcher (GW), 3rd, two on.
Pioneers overpower Rural Retreat
Lily Goforth drove in five runs as the Fort Chiswell Pioneers powered past Rural Retreat 12-6 in a matchup between Wythe County rivals.
Summer Shelton and Rylee Terry each had two hits for Rural Retreat, while Maggie Hale hit a three-run homer in the second inning.
Indians edge Castlewood
Rylee Terry’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning plated Lexi Buckingham and gave the Rural Retreat Indians a non-district 9-8 walk-off win over Castlewood.
Terry finished 3-for-4.
Buckingham (3-for-4) and Reagan Evans (3-for-4, three RBIs) both homered for Rural Retreat. Kynlee Lilly added two hits.
Castlewood (0-3) was led by Charleigh Hall’s three hits and scored three runs. Madison Fields went 2-for-2 with a three-run homer for the Blue Devils, while Anna Summers tallied two RBIs.
Castlewood 100 005 2—8 8 4
Rural Retreat 301 004 1—9 14 2
Summers and J. Phillips. Terry, Houseman (6) and Lilly. W – Houseman. L – Summers. HR – Buckingham (RR), 1st, one on; Evans (RR), 6th, one on; Fields (C), 6th, two on.
Soccer
Â
GW ties Pulaski
June Morrison scored two goals for the George Wythe Maroons as they battled to a tied with Pulaski County 3-3.
Mya Dela Garza had the other goal for GW.
Track & Field
Anthem HealthKeepers Invitational
Monday
Coeburn, Virginia
BOYS
100 – Trey Ward (Rural Retreat), 11.20; 200 – Trey Ward (Rural Retreat), 23.94; 400 – Clay Ross (Twin Springs), 55.97; 800 – Jason Correa (Eastside), 2:23.97; 1,600 – Aayden Mullins (Twin Springs), 5:53.65; 110 Hurdles – Payton Welch (J.I. Burton), 16.86; 300 Hurdles – Payton Welch (J.I. Burton), 49.10; 4x100 Relay – Rural Retreat, 42.45; 4x800 Relay – Eastside, 10:38.09; High Jump – Brady Johnson (Shelby Valley), 5-6; Long Jump – Trey Ward (Rural Retreat), 20-9; Triple Jump – Samuel De La Cruz Rodriguez (Rural Retreat), 40-1 ½; Discus – Ethan Lawson (Rye Cove), 103-0; Shot Put – Ethan Lawson (Rye Cove), 49-5.
GIRLS
100 – Emery Sage (Rural Retreat), 13.45; 200 – Tianna Gravely (J.I. Burton), 29.53; 400 – Emma Ross (Twin Springs), 1:15.10; 800 – Allie Salyer (Eastside), 2:54.83; 1,600 – Allie Salyer (Eastside), 4:41.40; 100 Hurdles – Madeline Mullins (Shelby Valley), 19.24; 300 Hurdles – Mia Hammons (J.I. Burton), 56.89; 4x100 Relay – Eastside, 55.55; 4x800 Relay – Eastside, 11:44.72; High Jump – Jalynn Rogers (Rye Cove), 4-10; Long Jump – Jalynn Rogers (Rye Cove), 15-0 ½; Triple Jump – Emery Sage (Rural Retreat), 32-1; Discus – Heidi Craiger (Eastside), 82-3; Shot Put – Heidi Craiger (Eastside), 28-4.
