Fort Chiswell…Playing on an overcast afternoon, the Fort Chiswell Pioneers got clutch pitching from Dallas Beasley as they defeated their county rival the Maroons of George Wythe 6-3.
Beasley went five and two-thirds innings giving up just six hits and striking out seven for the win. He also had two hits and scored twice. Tanner Bailey and Aaron Crawford both scored twice and each had a hit. Freshman Leighton Dunford knocked in two runs while Cody Burkes, Sean Morgan and Chance Davis all had an RBI. Davis, who came in to save the game, went one and one-third innings striking out three. He drew two walks and had a big sacrifice fly.
The Maroons started Avery Mabe, a freshman who was supposedly clocked at between 85-89 miles an hour throwing, was wild as he walked eight Fort Chiswell batters in just two and two-thirds innings. He took the loss as he gave up three runs and struck out six.
Fort Chiswell scored in their first at ball as Dunford drove in Beasley on a grounder. George Wythe would battle back to tie in the second on a Brandon Collins double, a passed ball and a single to right by T J Martin. The Pioneers would go back in their half of the second as Crawford drew a lead-off walk, and then three walks later, he scored. They would then go up 3-1 in the bottom of the third. This time with two outs Crawford would walk, steal second and score on a Burkes single. Up 3-2 going into bottom of the fourth the Pioneers (8-1) would push another run across with Bailey scoring on a wild pitch.
Geo. Wythe (8-4) would again cut their deficit to one run in the sixth with two outs. Avery Goins would hit a fastball over the left center field fence for a solo homer.
Fort Chiswell would answer again in the their half of the sixth scoring twice as Bailey hit a gapper to right center and Beasley singled. Davis’s sac fly scored Bailey to make it 5-3. After a Maroon error, Dunford with two outs would hit a shot to left field that bounced over the fence for a ground rule double scoring Beasley.
“I thought Beasley pitched extremely well as did Davis for us,“ said Fort Chiswell head coach Derrick Jackson. “I thought we battled the whole game and we always answered them with our own score. I’m proud of how we battled. I’m in my 10th year here as head baseball coach and they (Maroons) have only beaten us once.” Coach then added, ”We’re a pretty young team and still improving. Cody Burkes, Leighton Dunford and Aaron Crawford really came through in this game.“
Fort Chiswell will be back in action today (Wednesday) as they host the Narrows Green Wave. First pitch is slated for 5:00 pm, weather permitting.