BASEBALL: Tazewell Tops Abingdon For SWD Regular-Season Title

Abingdon's Josh Barker applies the tag to Tazewell's Tyler Kitts during Monday's game

By: Allen Gregory | TriCities.com
Published: May 19, 2009

BY ALLEN GREGORY
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
ABINGDON, Va. – For three decades, coach Lou Peery has developed gritty and successful baseball teams at Tazewell High School.

Peery and the Bulldogs offered another example of true grit late Monday night at Falcon Park.

Tazewell stopped defending Region IV champion Abingdon, 6-5, to win its first Southwest District regular season title in four years.

The Bulldogs (17-3, 12-0) outhit AHS, 12-5, played sound defense and relied on solid pitching from the tandem of senior Trey Lambert and hard-throwing sophomore Michael Wood. Tazewell is hitting .385 as a team and has a team ERA in the 1.99 range.

“We’ve got good balance, and our four seniors have really been good leaders,” Peery said. “This group of players just pull together and enjoy the game, and that’s a big part of success in baseball.”

Tazewell recently posted a 6-4 victory over AHS to set up Monday’s showdown. The Bulldogs took control thanks to a four-run fourth inning where the team collected four hits.

“It’s always a good game here,” Peery said. “I expected another one.”

Junior Taylor Herald led Tazewell with four hits, while No. 9 batter Michael Ascue and leadoff batter Tyler Kitts each collected two hits. Kitts, a shortstop, and freshman centerfielder Zak Wasilewski contributed several exceptional defensive plays.

Abingdon, which rallied its way to the regional title last season, scored a run in the sixth inning and had the tying run on second base with no outs in the seventh. Tazewell senior catcher Bruiser Moore then delivered the defensive gem of the game, as he blocked a pitch in the dirt and then threw out an AHS runner at third base. Wood struck out two AHS batters in the final inning.

“I didn’t think the runner would try to go there, but I was able to block the ball and make the throw, and my third baseman [T.J. Taxley] made a great tag,” said Moore, a three-year starter who ended the sixth inning by picking off an AHS runner at first base. “A catcher has to make routine plays like that.
“We’ve been putting things together in all three facets of the game this season. Abingdon has a great team, so we knew this was going to be a tough game.”

According to Moore, the success story starts with their legendary coach.

“It’s an honor to play for Coach Peery,” Moore said. “He’s built this program over the years, and he knows baseball more than anyone I know.”

Sophomore leadoff batter Luke Hilt led the Falcons (16-4, 10-2) with a single and run-scoring triple, while Josh Barker, Nathan Hagy and Zak Witt all doubled.

“Our kids battled,” AHS coach Mark Francisco said. “We had the winning run at the plate there in the seventh, and I felt good about our chances. Tazewell has a good club, and it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Sophomore pitcher Heath Shelton entered the game for AHS in the fourth inning, striking out five and not allowing a run over the final three innings.

“Our young players are passionate about the game and work on the skills year-round,” Francisco said. “We’re a young club. To be 16-4 on the season, I’m proud of the kids. We’re making some mistakes that young players typically make, but the effort is there.”

Tazewell will host the final two rounds of the SWD tournament on Thursday and Friday. Play begins Wednesday with a pair of games at satellite sites. Abingdon will host Grundy Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Peery hopes his Bulldogs can write another saga in the long-running success story of Bulldog baseball.

“Record-wise, this team is up there with the top of them,” Peery said.