Norwood’s baseball team had a tough stretch of games last week taking on solid programs Gainesville, Dora and Mansfield.
While they were unable to complete a difficult sweep, the Pirates did pick up a pair of needed victories.
In traveling to Gainesville to take on a Bulldogs team that was 7-1 entering the contest, the Pirates knew they had a difficult challenge ahead of them in their Summit Conference match-up.
Fortunately, the Pirates, who were trailing by one run in their final at-bat, scored four times in the top of the seventh inning to pick up an 8-6 victory.
Down 4-0 early, the Pirates tied the game in the top of the third with four runs.
They were paced by Garrett Davault’s three-run home run. Brayden Wehrer’s RBI single tied the game.
Down by one in their final at-bat, Norwood scored four more times as they were paced by Jacob Sinning’s three-run home run.
Davault finished with three RBIs and two runs scored; Sinning had three RBIs and one run scored; Noah Drake had one RBI and one run scored; Dylan Calhoun scored twice; Wehrer had one RBI; while both Peyton McDaris and Cooper Vaughan had one run scored.
Davault tossed six and a third innings on the mound and allowed four earned runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. He did allow one home run.
Calhoun tossed the final two-thirds of an inning and allowed one earned run on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
Against Dora, the Pirates went on the road and returned to Norwood with a 10-6 victory.
Norwood scored three runs in both the second and third innings to take a 6-3 lead. Up 7-6 in the sixth inning, the Pirates put three runs across the board in their final two at-bats for the win.
Dora’s defense made five errors in the loss.
Davault led the Pirates with three hits, two RBIs and one run scored while Calhoun had two hits, three RBIs and one run scored. Both Toby Cottengim and McDaris had one RBI and two runs scored; Max McGowan had one RBI and one run scored; while Vaughan, Sinning and Drake each scored one run.
Calhoun tossed three and two-thirds innings on the mound and allowed three earned runs on three hits with five strikeouts and five walks. Cottengim lasted three and a third innings, allowing no earned runs and one hit with three strikeouts. Norwood did have an 8-1 loss to Mansfield. (Information on that game is available in the Lions’ article.)
