By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Unless pitching falters, it’s hard not to lose a baseball game with a .538 batting average, which Watauga posted on May 5 in the first round of the 6A North Carolina state playoffs vs. Dudley. With senior starting hurler Brett Vannoy giving up only two runs on two hits while striking four Panthers and walking only one in three and a half innings — and junior reliever Bryce Scheffler finishing the shortened “mercy rule” contest with three strikeouts — Watauga romped to a convincing, 12-2 win in the first round of the North Carolina 6A state playoffs.
With Vannoy shutting out the Panthers’ side in an opening frame that featured a double play by the Pioneer infield, Watauga didn’t waste any time, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Following a leadoff double by Watauga shortstop Evan Burroughs and a full count walk to rightfielder J.J. Everett, senior centerfielder Jake Blanton laced a single to left, loading the bases. Designated hitter Daniel Jones showed why he is in the lineup when not serving as Watauga’s ace pitcher, sending a ball to the right field fence for a double and scoring Burroughs, Everett and Blanton, racing around the bases.
That early offensive output was enough to chase Dudley’s starting pitcher, freshman Xavier Baker. In came senior Brayden Jeffries, who got two quick strikeouts before Pioneer second baseman Cade Keller rapped yet another double to the right field fence, scoring Jones. Jeffries got Watauga leftfielder Everett Gryder to ground out to get out of the inning, but the Pioneers had established momentum — and it would lead to a shortened game with the lead 12-2 after the Panthers’ at bat in the fifth inning.
For the contest, Watauga touched up Jeffries for seven runs on 13 hits. Baker was credited with allowing those first four runs and another Dudley reliever, Cam Wilkerson McAdoo yielded the final Pioneer tally in Watauga’s 5-run fifth inning.
The No. 9 seeded Pioneers will travel to Greensboro on Friday, May 8, to face the No. 8 seed, Southeast Guilford, which was awarded a bye into the second round. The playoffs’ seeding puts Watauga and the NCHSAA 6A West bracket’s No. 1 seed, conference rival Alexander Central in the upper half of the West bracket. If both win in Round 2, they will face each other for a fourth time this season, in Round 3.
Key Watauga Offensive Performers in Round 1
- DH Daniel Jones (Jr.): 3-3, 3 runs scored, 4 RBIs, 2B
- SS Evan Burroughs (Sr.): 3-3, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 2 doubles, stolen base
- 2B Cade Keller (Sr.): 2-3, 2 runs scored, 3 RBIs, 2 doubles
- CF Jake Blanton (Sr.): 2-3, 2 runs scored, 1 triple
- 3B Eli Bishop (Sr.): 1-3, 1 runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 triple
- 1B Kwame Carter (Sr.): 1-3, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, double
- LF Everett Gryder (Sr.): 1-3, 1 run scored
- RF J.J. Everett (Jr.): 0-2, 1 run scored, 1 walk
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