Baseball County Clash round #1: Pisgah rolls to commanding win in shutout game

Pisgah baseball cruised to a 12-0 win over Tuscola to open up this week's County Clash series on Tuesday.

The game ended early in just six innings because the Bears reached a more than 10-run lead.

"This game always means something - no matter if you're first or you're last, it doesn't matter. This game means something, and they came out. Our kids played hard. Their kids played hard," said Pisgah Coach Harold Shepard.

The game was the first of two between the teams this week, with the second coming on Friday in Canton.

"Tip your cap," said Tuscola Coach Zack Shepherd. "They played a great game. We've got some things to work on. The good thing about baseball is that you get to play soon. You don't have to wait a week. We're gonna come to practice the next two days and get ready for Friday."

Junior pitcher Landyn Wright had a huge game for the Bears, allowing just two hits and striking out 11 through all six innings. He also had a great night at the plate, hitting a two-run home run.

"He got up there and threw strikes. When he's pitching, he's on cruise control. I'm not worried about him," Shepard said.

The Bears' varsity teams got to Tuscola's field later than the junior varsity players, staying back at their own home field to get some extra batting practice in before the game.

"I didn't want them out here in this and all the other stuff that goes along with this game. They sat around and laughed and cut up and joked around," Shepard said.

Despite that extra practice, the coach wasn't exactly expecting that home run from Wright.

"We didn't hit a single ball out in BP today. He got a good pitch to take to right center, and he left a hell of a dent in the hood of that car," Shepard said.

Bears bats get hot

The game started slowly for the Bears. Through the first two innings, Pisgah tallied just one hit.

That shifted in the third inning, however. Back-to-back doubles from junior Zack Wester and senior Owen Rigsby drove in the first run of the game.

Then a bunt single for senior Jaxon Layman and a walk for senior Maddox Wright loaded the bases.

Senior Braden Surrett made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly before junior Isaiah Mintz drove in another two runs with a single.

With two outs, Wright slugged his homer across the right-center fence to give Pisgah a 6-0 lead.

Pisgah tacked on one more in the fifth inning when senior Boone Carver hit a sacrifice fly to score Mintz, who had walked in the previous at-bat and stole his way around to third.

In the top of the sixth, Pisgah really started pouring it on. The Bears added five more runs in the inning on four hits, three walks and a hit batter.

Tuscola couldn't answer back in the bottom half of the inning, but it wasn't due to a lack of effort. The Mountaineers fought until Carver picked off a base runner to end the game.

"We preach that there's a standard," Shepherd said. "You're not playing another team. You're playing against the standard. And the standard is you don't quit - play to the last out. This team has done a good job of that all year. I'm not hitting the panic button because of one game. It happens. It's baseball, but I will tip my cap to them, great team. They came out with a great plan and executed it."

Prepping for a comeback

In the loss, Shepherd saw things for his team to work on before the next match-up with the Bears on Friday.

"A couple of things didn't go our way early, and I think there was a little bit of shock," Shepherd said. "Then we didn't handle a couple of things the way that we probably wanted to, but we'll learn from it and move on. It's a long season - definitely a marathon, not a sprint. We've got some things to focus on the next two days that'll help us in the long run."

The Bears were coming off an extended break, having last played baseball the previous Tuesday. After that win over West Henderson, the players had the rest of the week off.

Despite that, players were still showing up on their own to get some practice in with one another.

"I'm just driving the bus and making sure they get where they need to be," Shepard said.

The win moved Pisgah to 12-1 on the season and 8-0 in Mountain 8 conference play. The Bears are currently No. 3 in the statewide 4A RPI rankings.

For Tuscola, the loss drops the Mountaineers to 11-7 and 6-2 in Mountain 8 play, good enough for second in the conference. Tuscola is currently holding a playoff spot as the No. 20 team in the RPI rankings.

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