Botetourt Post 240 off to its best start ever
The Botetourt Post 240 American Legion baseball team is off to its best start ever. Botetourt is 4-3 after taking two of three games last week.
Post 240 continues to pound the ball, scoring 35 runs in the three games. Botetourt scored 16 runs Friday night at Ferrum College in a game against Franklin County, one of the top teams in the district.
Jaret White follows through in a Post 240 game at Salem’s Kiwanis Field. Photo by Melanie Meador
“I’ve said all along that we’re going to hit,” said Botetourt coach Jeremy Sink. “The key for us is to throw strikes and play well in the field. If we do that, we’re going to be tough to beat.”
Botetourt opened last week’s play with a 15-1 win over Salem at the James River field, ending the game in seven innings due to “slaughter rule.” Brett Carroll had a single, a double and a home run to pace Post 240 and Dalton Lipes also had three hits. Dylan Powers had a homer and a double and Andrew Tucker had a single and a double.
On the mound, Martin Henderlite was masterful for the Botetourt nine, allowing just one run before Hunter Scothorn mopped up with a big lead. Henderlite yielded just two hits.
On Friday at Ferrum the Botetourt team fell behind 5-1 after three innings, but that’s nothing for this bunch. In the top of the fourth Botetourt plated 13 runs to break the game wide open on the field where Billy Wagner once pitched. Post 240 went on to a 16-7 win.
Tyler Duke was the hitting star in this one, with a single and two doubles to drive in five runs. Tucker had a single and a long homer and Lincoln Evans, Ryan Hepler, Powers and Lipes all had two hits.
Taylor Toppel pitched the first five innings for Botetourt to pick up the win. Jame O’Neill pitched the final four innings for a save and kept the Rocky Mount team off-balance.
“That was a big win for us,” said Sink. “Franklin County was coming off a win over Big Island, who many people think is the best team in the district. To beat them like that shows what kind of team we have. That will be a shot heard round the district.”
On Saturday Botetourt played at Big Island, and the team used the trip to visit facilities at Liberty University and Lynchburg College, the latter where coach Sink went to school.
“We have some kids who are interested in playing in college,” said Sink. “This gave us a chance to check out their facilities.”
Loaded with confidence after the big win at Ferrum, Botetourt jumped to a quick 4-0 lead against Big Island. However, the home team rallied for three in the third and two in the fourth and went on to a 14-4 win over Botetourt. Big Island was as good as advertised, stroking 19 hits off a pitching combination of Duke, Brian Ward, Ashton Swortzel and Dustin Winand.
Duke, Tucker and Evans had two hits each for Botetourt, but Post 240 couldn’t get the clutch hits. Botetourt left eight runners on base in the loss.
Now 4-3 overall, Botetourt has jumped out to a 3-1 division record. They’ll play a division game on Thursday night at James River when they play host to Roanoke Post 3 at 6 p.m.
On Saturday Botetourt will play a rare “two-field” doubleheader. At noon Botetourt will play New River at Lord Botetourt High School, and at 5 p.m. the boys will drive to James River to host Danville. Meanwhile, the junior Legion team will host New River in a junior doubleheader following the big boys at LB.
“It will be a good chance for people in the county to come out and see what we have going,” said Sink. “We’re really turning some heads.”
