The Salem High baseball team outhit Glenvar last week, 11-1, but needed to work out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the sixth inning to pull out a win. The Spartans downed the Highlanders, 3-2, in the season opening game for both at Salem’s Billy Sample Field last Thursday.
If you like LOBs(left on base) this was the game for you. Both teams left a bunch of runs on the vine in a typical first game of the season.
Salem took an early lead and never trailed. The Spartans scored in the first inning when Parker Sweet was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. However, there was no further damage as Glenvar pitcher Cale Vaughan induced a 6-4-3 doubleplay to end the inning.
The Spartans plated two more runs in the third off an infield single by Mason Brown and a bases loaded fielder’s choice by Ben Keffer. It looked like a three run lead might be enough as Salem’s Zach Bocock was coasting on the mound. The senior righthander threw hitless ball through four innings with eight strikeouts.
Brown relieved Bocock for a scoreless fifth inning. However, Mason struggled to find the strike zone in the sixth, loading the bases with three walks and no one out. Salem skipper Jimmy Winterer called on Jack Stroud at that point and Stroud got three strikeouts to end the inning, but not before one run scored on an error and a second on a passed ball to cut the lead to 3-2.
Cam Feazell, who relieved Vaughan in the fifth, pitched two scoreless innings to keep the Highlanders close. Glenvar got the first batter aboard on a walk in the top of the seventh but Stroud struck out the next three to close out the game and earn a save with Bocock getting the win.
Brown was three-for-three at the plate for Salem while Brayden White and Keffer had two hits each. Camden Summerville had the only hit for Glenvar but the Highlanders had plenty of activity on the bases with six walks and two hit batters by Salem pitchers.
“We loaded the bases twice, we just needed a clutch hit,” said Glenvar coach Jeremy Cromer. “We’ve been working hard on our hitting and the bats will come along. I was pleased that it was our first game and we played flawless baseball other than one error.”
Salem is back in action Friday with a game at Magna Vista. Next Monday Glenvar will host Hidden Valley and Salem is at Lord Botetourt. The Highlanders are home again Tuesday to host Northside and Salem will get Northside a day later, on April Fool’s Day, at Sample Field.
