Pioneers to face Auburn Thursday for Region C baseball championship

The Fort Chiswell Varsity Baseball Team punched their ticket to the VHSL State Playoffs for the second year in a row by beating the Grayson Co. Blue Devils 8-7 Monday night at Grayson in a thriller.

FC looked like they were going to roll as Owen Jackson led the game off with a single and swiped second with no outs in the top of the first, but he was left stranded. Grayson also came up empty in their half of the inning as starting pitcher Parker Moore looked like he was settling in for the day.

Both teams would make some noise in the second inning as the Pioneers would plate a run on a Spencer Moser RBI ground ball for a 1-0 lead but the Devils would strike back and take a 2-1 advantage as FC Starter, Moore exited the mound with some control issues handing the pill to freshman teammate Owen Jackson who allowed two runners to score out of the one out bases loaded jam on a big single by Makray Goad. Jackson, who hadn’t thrown in a contest in over four weeks due to a dislocated finger, would last till the fifth inning trailing 3-2 as Parker Moore re-entered as the pitcher due to Jackson leaving a couple of Devils on base. Grayson would end up plating two more runs on a Mav Goad single to make the score 5-2 after five innings.

The Pioneers flipped the game on its head in the top of the sixth, scoring six runs on two hits to take a 8-5 lead thanks in part to a huge single by Mac Phillips that drove in three runs. Jackson would have to come back to the mound for FC in the sixth inning to get an out and ended up throwing the seventh inning surrendering two runs before striking out the last batter with one on to advance to the Region C Championship.

Makray Goad took the loss for Grayson County. The starting pitcher threw five solid innings surrendering eight runs on seven hits, striking out seven and walking five. Jackson earned the win for the Fort as he allowed eight hits and five runs over four and one-third innings, striking out four and walking four.

The Fort Chiswell hitting attack was led by senior Zayne Sayers who pounded out two hits and was aided by Mac Phillips’ two RBIs. Grayson was led at the plate by Mav Goad and Makray Goad as they each collected three hits. Mac Goad also notched two hits in the losing effort. With the win, the Pioneers improve to 17 wins and 4 losses with a date with Auburn on Thursday to decide the Championship.