HV freshman hurler shuts down Rangers

Published 12:45 pm Friday, March 24, 2023

By Allen LaMountain

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STAR CORRESPONDENT
Freshman right hander Aiden Paul struck out 12, walked two and allowed just one hit as Happy Valley blanked Unaka 10-0 on Thursday evening at Cannon Gouge Park.
“He threw a heck of a game tonight,” Happy Valley head coach Nathaniel Treadway said. “He was dialed in and as soon as we got warm in the pre-game, he was locked and loaded.”
The Warriors (3-2 overall) took advantage of a plethora of Unaka miscues to score multiple runs in the second and fifth innings including a three-error romp in the last of the sixth on a fly ball off the bat of HV catcher Pedro Colunga.
Colunga hit a towering fly ball to left field where the ball was dropped. Colunga never stopped running as the throw from the centerfielder went past the cutoff man to Unaka’s first baseman, whose throw to third was wide of the mark as Colunga went all the way around the bases scoring standing up with the mercy rule run that ended the contest.
“Teams will have games like this,” Treadway said. “Every team has had games where things just get out of control. Believe me, it happens to the best of teams.”
The Rangers finished with eight errors on the night and it began in the last of the first when HV leadoff man Tucker Shoun walked and stole second base. A throwing error on the Ranger catcher moved Shoun to third, from where he scored on a passed ball for a 1-0 Warrior lead.
Paul showed dominance all game striking out the side in the Unaka third inning and again in the Ranger fifth frame. The only mar on his record was a third-inning infield single by Landon Ramsey.
“Coach Wilson called a great game,” Paul said. “It’s crazy because I’m a freshman and this is my first start. I hope this is the start of a great season.”
The Warriors scored four runs in the second inning when with one out, Nakota Graham was hit by a pitch and Ty Johnson followed with a double to centerfield to plate Graham. Johnson moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an infield error that allowed Cade Kendall to reach. Another wild pitch scored Kendall.
Carlos Lopez – who substituted for Colton Johnson, who had a foul ball strike him in the face – reached on another Unaka miscue and later scored on a passed ball. HV went into the third frame with a 5-0 lead and Rangers pitching had seven wild pitches and three passed balls that contributed to the Warriors running the bases with impunity.
HV scored three runs in the fifth on just one hit and the Warriors finished with four hits on the night.
Happy Valley 10-0
Unaka 000 000 – 0 1 8
Happy Valley 140 131 – 10 4 1
W – Aiden Paul L – Logan Lewis
2B – T. Johnson

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