The Salem High baseball team played their fifth game in nine days Tuesday when the Spartans traveled to Blacksburg for a River Ridge District game. Salem lost 6-5 in eight innings and is now 3-4 on the season and 0-2 in district play.
Salem’s Zach Bocock pitched five innings and struck out 11 for the Spartans. Aiden Poff pitched two and a third innings and took the loss. Salem had just four hits in the game.
The Spartans had back-to-back games at Billy Sample Field last Wednesday and Thursday, splitting games with Roanoke County foes. They beat Northside on Wednesday, 6-5, for an exciting walk-off win.
“This was one of the best high school games I’ve ever been a part of,” said Salem coach Jimmy Winterer. “Two very good pitchers threw six innings. Both teams then battled in the last two innings, scoring seven total runs with three lead changes.”
Bocock started and pitched six strong innings for Salem, striking out eight and allowing one earned run. Northside ace Camp Spangler struck out nine but allowed four earned runs and Salem led 4-3 after six innings.
Jack Stroud relieved Bocock in the seventh with a one-run lead. The Vikings managed to get two runners on with no outs but failed to move them with a bunt that Stroud fielded and got a force out at third. However, with two outs the Vikings took the lead off a triple to the right-center field gap by Spangler, who was three-for-four at the plate for the game.
Down 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Mason Stanley took the mound for the Vikings. Mason Hale led off the inning for the Spartans with a double to the left field wall, his third hit of the game. Brayden White followed with his second hit, a single past a diving Spangler at second base to score Hale and tie the game at 5-5. Two walks loaded the bases, and with a chopper over the shortstop Parker Sweet singled in the winning run for a Spartan walk-off win.
Salem was right back at it a day later at Billy Sample Field to host Cave Spring, and the visiting Knights took a 12-5 win in a game that featured five home runs. The Knights sent two over the wall and Salem got home runs by White, Hale and Poff. White had a two-run homer and Hale and Poff both had solo shots. Poff started on the mound and took the loss.
On Monday of this week the Spartans were off to Vinton for their third straight game against a Roanoke County team, and for the second time in a row they went down to defeat. This one was a back-and-forth affair that saw the host Terriers leading at the conclusion, 14-12, at Gary Walthall Park.
This game lasted three and a half hours and “featured” 30 walks. Salem led on several occasions, including 12-11 after White singled home two in the top of the sixth inning. Two walks and an infield error allowed Byrd to regain the lead in the bottom of the inning and hold on for the win.
Salem will be back on the diamond on Friday when they travel to Hidden Valley for a River Ridge District game. Next Monday Byrd returns the trip to Salem for a 5:30 pm start.
