Weather permitting, the Salem and Glenvar High baseball teams will open region tournament this week. Both teams were scheduled
to play on the road Wednesday to begin their respective tournaments.
Glenvar was originally scheduled to open Region 2C play on Tuesday at Alleghany, but rain washed out any chance of that. The game was tentatively rescheduled for 1 pm Wednesday, the same day as Glenvar’s graduation at 7 pm, so there was a chance that would be moved as well. Whenever the Highlanders can get the game in the winner will advance to play at James River at 5 pm Friday.
Salem, the fifth seed in Region 4D, was scheduled to play at fourth seeded Louisa County on Wednesday. Both teams are 15-5 but Louisa won the tie-breaker to get the home game. The winner will play the Western Albemarle-E.C. Glass winner, and although Western Albemarle is the top seed Salem coach Wes McMillan thought Glass had a good shot to win that game.
“Glass has one really good pitcher,” he said. “If we can win and Glass wins and uses up that pitcher, we’ll be in a good spot. It all depends how many days we’ll have between games.”
The Spartans finished second in the River Ridge District and got to play in the district championship game last Thursday. Christiansburg, the regular season winner, got to host the game and the Demons took a 15-2 win. Salem had played games Monday and Wednesday and won both against Cave Spring and Pulaski County, and in the process used most of their top pitching.
“That was the only game Christiansburg played last week,” said McMillan. “We had to use some kids who hadn’t pitched all season.”
Camden Hart started for Salem and pitched the first three innings as Salem fell behind 7-0. Brendan Steele, Grant Keffer and Carter Black, all new to the varsity mound, split time in the fourth as the Demons scored eight more runs to win by slaughter rule when Salem answered with just two runs in the top of the fifth.
Salem managed seven hits in the five innings. The Demons had 14 hits and walked six times in picking up the district championship win.
