Rangers take mercy-rule win over Avery
Published 8:30 am Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Star Photos/Brandon Hyde Bryson Street throwing a pitch.
#5 Bryson Street tries for an out at first.
#9 John Ramsey makes a connection.
#15 Nick Nunley at bat.
#10 (David Shearl? - not sure - can't read handwriting on roster) makes a throw to home
The Unaka Rangers broke open a 5-4 game with ten runs in the last of the fourth and handed Avery County (N.C) a 15-4 loss on Monday at Claude Holsclaw Field in non-conference baseball action.
The Vikings plated a run in the first on a sacrifice fly from Noah Ruato which scored Lucas Andrews who singled with one out in the frame.
Unaka (15-11 overall) responded with three runs in their half of the stanza as Vikings starting pitcher Andrews plunked four Rangers hitters to force home a pair of runs and senior Davy Ensor celebrated Senior Day with an RBI single to make it a 3-1 Rangers lead.
Senior Bryson Street started on the bump for Unaka and ran into some self-induced trouble in the second.
An infield error and an error on a pickoff throw from Street and a balk call helped Avery score three runs in the top of the second for a 4-3 Vikings lead.
Ty Smith had an RBI hit for Avery in the inning with the balk and a wild pitch bringing home the other two runs.
Senior John ‘Boy’ Ramsey doubled and scored on a single from junior catcher Daniel Ensor and Ensor later scored on a wild pitch as Unaka took a 5-4 lead.
Freshman Joseph Slagle came on in relief in the third inning and was solid giving up no runs on just three hits.
He walked none and struck out one and head coach Tee Blevins said of his effort, “He’ll throw strikes. He’s not going to strike many people out, but he pitches the ground ball and fly ball outs. Occasionally he’ll get the swing and miss.
“I thought we hit the ball well today, ran the bases well made some good plays in the field and Nolan Bradley made a great play in left field.”
That play came in the top of the fourth when Austin Waldrop sent a high rocket to deep left field down the line and Bradley tracked it all the way to make the catch and keep Avery off the scoreboard.
Freshman Daniel Shearl had a great day at shortstop, especially in the top of the third, when he snagged a line drive with a snow cone catch and made an exceptional play on a ground ball up the middle to throw out Briley Austin ending the frame.
Shearl also began a 6-4-3 double play in the top of the fifth to hinder a possible Vikings score that may have prolonged the game.
“He’s athletic and he has come a long way since the start of the year,” Blevins said of Shearl. “Hitting the ball, fielding the ball and throwing the ball he has improved.”
In the fourth inning, the wheels fell off the wagon for Avery as the Rangers sent 14 batters to the plate and collected six hits.
They pushed across ten runs with the help of two Vikings errors. Daniel Ensor collected his second RBI hit of the game and Bradley also had a ribbie base knock.
Ramsey plated two runners with a double to centerfield and Street plated Ramsey with a base hit to left.
The middle of the Rangers lineup, Ramsey, Street and Ensor had six of the Rangers nine hits with each player having a 2-for-3 day at the dish.
Unaka 15-4
Avery Co. 130 00 – 4 5 2
Unaka 320 (10)x- 15 9 2
W – Street L – Waldrop
