Byrdmen bounce back from first loss with wins over Cave Spring, Glenvar
VINTON – The William Byrd baseball team will be home Friday night to host Cave Spring in a jayvee varsity-doubleheader at Walthall Park. The jayvees are scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm with the varsity to follow, at approximately 7 pm.
Byrd is 3-1 after a busy week. The Terriers lost for the first time at Salem last week, 4-0, but bounced back with wins at Cave Spring Friday and at home against Glenvar Monday.
Byrd secondbaseman Britton Chocklette (jumping) and rightfielder Scott Spradlin (diving) make a valiant effort for a bloop hit against Salem last week. (Photo by Carter Turner.)
The game with the Spartans at Salem’s Kiwanis Field was a pitchers’ duel. Two talented portsiders, Byrd’s Collin Hill and Salem’s Zach Mineroldi, hooked up in a scoreless battle through four and a half innings. Byrd didn’t have a hit until the top of the fourth, when Hill singled. Salem left runners on second and third in the first inning, but Hill settled down and retired 12 in a row before trouble brewed in the bottom of the fifth.
Salem scored four runs in the fifth with the help of two errors. All four runs were unearned.
“I thought Collin threw really well,” said Byrd coach Chris Carr. “He gave up three hits and no earned run in five innings, and there was only one ball hit hard against him. I’m very happy with the way he pitched.”
For Salem, lefty Mineroldi was equally good. He went the distance, allowing just two hits while striking out three and walking one. He used just 88 pitches in the seven inning stint, 55 of which were strikes.
“He pitched a great game,” said Salem coach Jamie Garst. “He hits his locations so well, he really is amazing. He’s not a very big guy but he has great mechanics.”
Jo Stickney had the other hit for Byrd after Britton Chocklette reached on an error with two outs. However, Mineroldi retired Scott Spradlin to end the threat.
A day later, at Cave Spring, the Terriers bounced back with a 9-2 win over the host Knights. Timmy Meador had two home runs to pace the Byrdmen and drove in three. Stickney had three hits.
Chocklette pitched a strong game in this one, allowing just one hit over four innings to pick up the win. Spradlin pitched the fifth and sixth and Alex Brown finished up.
On Monday at Walthall Park the Terriers slaughter-ruled Glenvar for the second time in eight days, this time by a 13-1 score. Glenvar served as home team as the Highlanders field is still not ready, but there was no question who felt at home as the Terriers belted out 15 hits in just five innings, including two each by Hill, Meador, Easton Riggs and Patrick Stovall.
“I think everyone who came up to the plate had a hit except Brandon Harless, and he reached on an error,” said Carr.
Riggs pitched the first four innings to improve his record to 2-0 on the young season. Brown pitched the fifth to close out the shortened game.
“I told the kids after the game, we have a problem,” said Carr. “We have 14 or 15 guys hitting well and we only have nine spots in the lineup. It makes my job difficult because everyone wants to play. Sooner or later it will sort itself out, but it’s a nice problem to have.”
Hill is scheduled to pitch Friday’s home game with Cave Spring, and then Byrd is off until next Wednesday when Salem comes here. Chocklette is expected to get the start in that game.
