Gallery: Beckley starts fast against Wyoming East
Beckley – Wyoming East barely settled in before watching its hopes of a victory vanish.
Beckley sent 13 batters to the plate in the opening inning, plating nine runs in an eventual 14-6 win over the Warriors Friday night in Beckley.
Maddex Sims led the 13-hit barrage for the hosts, notching three and driving in a trio of runs. His final hit of the night, a single past the shortstop, was the 100th of his career.
“Maddex has done that his whole career and as a senior he’s been able to just continue it, and in my opinion, he’s the best player in Southern West Virginia,” Beckley head coach Alex Williams said. “I’m just proud of that kid and the hard work he puts in away from the field. He’s just always working on his game and to have him as a senior, as a leader, starting off every game as a leadoff, getting on base, putting the ball in play – he just sets the tone in every game.”
The Flying Eagles attacked in a variety of ways in a game where they took control early.
Facing Wyoming East lefty Jaeden Lester, Beckley put pressure on the East defense. Following a Sims single, Tyler Wilhite, Drew Gallaher and Brady Williams laid three consecutive bunts, all reaching base with Williams’ hit pushing across the first run.
Gage Price pushed across another pair with a two-run single before Lester secured a pair of outs.
Ahead 4-0, Sims notched career hit No. 99 in exciting fashion, crushing a three-run double in his second at-bat of the inning for a 7-0 lead.
Wilhite and Gallaher followed with a pair of hits RBI singles to extend the advantage.
“We got a couple of kids that are really smart situational hitters and they know when they can get a bunt down based on where the defense is,” Williams said. “Tyler and Brady both laid down some great bunts, and that was all them. They looked like smart baseball players and I’m super proud of them. We put some pressure on early with the sticks and that’s a great pitcher. I mean, he’s had a really good season and they came out and were seeing the ball well and put it in play all night, so super proud of them.”
For East it was a frustrating inning by any measure but even more so considering how the rest of the game unfolded with the Warriors outscoring the hosts across the remaining innings.
“We didn’t field any of the bunts and we do field one and make a bad throw and don’t get anybody out,” East head coach Kevin Hedinger said. “When they start putting the ball and play, I mean, that happens. Jaeden, he battled back a little bit. He got a little bit frustrated, but stuff like that’s gonna happen.”
The visitors chipped into the deficit with a pair of runs on a Jarred Phillips single but Beckley answered back with three more in the third and two in the fourth for a 14-2 advantage.
After successfully scoring on a rundown, East sat a strike away from being run-ruled before Zach Hunt hit a two-run double into the gap in the top of the fifth inning. Miken Smyth followed with his own base hit to plate Hunt but the rally ended there with Brady Williams allowing just three more base runners the rest of the way.
“I’m proud of the kids, cause we got down 9-0 against Nichols County the other night and then scored seven and had hit two line-drive double plays,” Hedinger said. “Could have been right back in that game, but it’s kind of tough to come back from 9-0. against a good ball club. (Williams) pitched really well, but I didn’t we didn’t give any at bats away. I saw guys up there grinding. I mean Jaeden had a really bad day and it would’ve been easy for him to just give up on that and he got him a double. So a lot of positives, couple of negatives.”
Wilhite and Will Farrsih joined Sims with three hits each while Williams fanned seven without allowing an earned run.
Hunt led East with two RBI in the loss.
