The Avery Vikings varsity baseball team lost a tight game on Monday afternoon at Freedom High School in Morganton by a final score of 6-5, but bounced back quickly with a 12-1 win in five innings over the Cloudland Highlanders in Roan Mountain on Tuesday.Chris Childress got the start for Avery in Monday's contest and pitched scoreless baseball through two innings. Unfortunately the Avery bats were unable to heat up in the interim to give their senior southpaw a lead to work with.
The Big Red's fortunes changed in the top of the third inning, however. Childress reached base on an error with one out in the frame, while Adam Pate followed him with a single. Cleanup hitter and catcher Steven Daniels brought the runners home with a two-RBI double to put Avery on the board with a 2-0 lead.
Freedom did not allow the lead to last long, though. The Patriots sent 11 batters to the plate, benefitting from three walks and three hits in the bottom of the third to score five runs to take its first lead of the game at 5-2. Neither team scored through the next two innings, although both teams stranded multiple runners on base during that span.
In the top of the sixth Avery rallied with a pair of runs to cut the deficit to 5-4. Jack Buchanan walked and Brooks Oakley singled to lead off the inning to put two runners on. Senior Sutton Stanley brought both teammates home with a two-out double to left field. The Vikings had the opportunity to retake the lead in the inning, but the squad left the bases loaded when Adam Pate flew out to centerfield.
Freedom added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth off reliever Stanley. A pair of one-out walks came back to haunt the right-hander as a key base hit scored a run to push the Patriot lead to 6-4.
Avery had one final opportunity in the top of the seventh to tie or take the lead. Steven Daniels led off with a double and reached third base on a Freedom error. The Vikings missed out on a chance to tie the contest as the runner at third was sent home on a passed ball but was tagged out on a bang-bang play at home plate.
Avery remained undaunted, however, and pushed a run across as Joe Buchanan doubled to score Jack Buchanan. The Big Red could not complete the comeback, however, as a popout with two runners on ended the game to leave the Vikings a run shy.
"We made a few mental errors, but we did some things right. We hurt ourselves by leaving nine runners in scoring position, though," Avery head baseball coach Benny Wellborn said after the game. "The bottom line is when we had our chances on multiple occasions, we didn't push runners across."
Daniels finished the game 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles and two RBI, while second baseman Brooks Oakley was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Pate, Stanley, Buchanan, and Daniel Huff also had a hit in the loss.
Chris Childress took the loss on the mound, as he gave up four earned runs on six hits, while walking five hitters and striking out a pair of Patriots. Stanley threw two innings of hitless relief and gave up a single run with two walks and two strikeouts.
