DOBSON — A 15-strikeout performance on the mound paired with a 10-hit night lifted Mount Airy to an 8-1 win over Surry Central.
Surry Central had chances to pile runs on early in the game, but left six runners on base through the first three innings. Mount Airy, held scoreless through the first two innings, took over in the top of the third. The Granite Bears scored at least once in each of the remaining five innings to pick up win No. 11 on the season.
Both squads came into Wednesday’s nonconference game in need of a win.
The Golden Eagles (11-5, 6-1 Foothills 2A) were less than 24 hours removed for their first conference loss of 2022. After winning eight of its past nine games, Central fell 14-9 at West Wilkes on Tuesday.
Mount Airy faced a similar situation. The Bears (11-7, 6-2 Northwest 1A) had won 6-of-7 conference games and were hot off a 7-0 win over North Stokes. Mount Airy went on the road on April 8 and lost 10-3 in the rematch against North Stokes, then dropped a close nonconference game to South Iredell on April 11.
Rylan Venable pitched a complete game for the Bears with 15 strikeouts. In seven innings, Venable walked three batters, hit three batters and gave up one run on four hits.
Despite three of Central’s four hits coming in the first two innings, the Eagles wouldn’t score until the bottom of the fifth.
Leadoff Dakota Mills singled to begin the bottom of the first after the Bears went three up, three down in the top of the inning. Clay Whitaker was then hit by a pitch, and both players shifted to scoring position on stolen bases. Venable kept the board clean with three consecutive strikeouts.
Another quick batting appearance for the Bears put the Eagles at the plate once again. Lucas Johnson nailed a single to right-center field, and Spencer LeClair soon joined him on base with a single of his own. Mills was walked to load the bases with two outs, but Venable fired his sixth strikeout of the game to leave all three runners on base.
Momentum shifted in the top of the third when Brison George hit a double for the Bears’ first hit of the evening. Central’s Aiden Shropshire threw his first of two strikeouts when he faced the next batter, but gave up a single to Landon Cox that put George on third. A balk moved Cox to second and scored George.
From here, Mount Airy’s lead continued to slowly grown. Surry Central used four different pitchers for varying lengths of time, but none could completely contain the Bears. Shropshire led the way with 4.1 innings pitched, Mills and Mason Jewell each threw one inning and LeClair pitched 0.2 innings. The quartet combined to throw six strikeouts and walk four batters.
The Granite Bears’ lead doubled in the fourth inning when Logan Dowell went home on a Golden Eagle error. It doubled once again in the fifth when George, Cox and Ian Gallimore each had singles.
Central got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning. Mills was hit by Venable’s first pitch of the inning, then Whitaker was hit by Venable’s next pitch. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, and a ground out by Kade Norman provided the distraction for Mills to score. Venable tossed his 12th strikeout to prevent additional scoring.
Surry Central had two batters walked, one in the sixth and one in the seventh, but neither player advanced past first base.
Mount Airy, meanwhile, added one run in the sixth and three in the seventh. Dowell was walked as the leadoff hitter, and singles from Kamden Hawks and Reece Deaton scored the fifth run. The bases were loaded with no outs as the Bears looked to pad their lead even more, but Central executed a defensive play that – after much discussion – resulted in a double play.
Josh Penn hit a short grounder that was fielded by Johnson and thrown to Mills at the plate for the force out. Mills turned and fired a throw toward first, but the ball hit Penn instead of Kade Norman’s glove. The umpires met and called Penn out for interference, then had George and Hawks move back to second and third. Central’s Jewell then picked up the third out with a strikeout.
The Bears made up the difference in the seventh inning with three final runs. Dowell scored Gallimore on an RBI double, a wild pitch scored Venable and an Eagle fielding error allowed Dowell to score run No. 8.
Surry Central and Mount Airy will play again on April 20, this time in the Granite City. In the meantime: Surry Central travels to West Wilkes on April 15 and Mount Airy hosts Elkin on April 19.
Scoring
Mount Airy – 0, 0, 1, 1, 2, 1, 3 = 8
Surry Central – 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0 = 1
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com