No. 9 hitter Matt Roberts got the first Falcon hit,

y Dean Hensley
Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, March 23, 2009 at 11:26 p.m.

West Henderson’s brand-new scoreboard got a workout Monday night after just one inning and 10 Falcon runs against visiting Swain County, West coach Jim Hyatt’s alma mater.

More Photos:

• West vs. Swain Baseball

But after the Falcons sent 15 batters to the plate in the first inning, their bats went cold to the tune of just a single run over the next five innings as they went on to win 11-6.

“We played them in our opening game of the season, and we won 21-0. Obviously, they have improved. I have to tip my hat to them, because they didn’t quit,” Hyatt said. “After that first inning, we did. We got that big lead, and we just kind of mailed it in.”

Swain starter Tim Smith had a rough outing, allowing the first seven batters he faced to reach base. Of those seven, six touched home plate. He went 1/3 of an inning, giving up six runs (none earned) off no hits, three walks and no strikeouts.

No. 9 hitter Matt Roberts got the first Falcon hit, knocking in Tyler Austin with an RBI single to right. Leadoff hitter Zac Beard, who reached earlier in the inning on an error, followed with an RBI single to right to plate Taylor Reeves. Tyler Isgett, Forrest Koontz and Daniel Hyatt followed with back-to-back-to-back RBI singles, pushing the West lead to 10-0.

But the Maroon Devils kept West (6-1) scoreless the next two innings and then made sure it would go more than five innings with three runs off one hit in the top of the fourth against Falcon starter Hyatt. Hyatt (4-0) stayed perfect on the year, though, going four innings and allowing three runs (none earned) off three hits. He had five strikeouts and no walks.

The fans who made the long drive from Swain roared in the next inning when Nick Lyons blasted a two-run home run over the new left-field wall, cutting the Falcon lead to 11-5.

George Welch got the final Swain run in the top half of the sixth with an RBI double to right off Falcon reliever Austin.

Beard (2-for-4), Koontz (2-for-3) and Reeves (2-for-3) were the only Falcons with multiple hits.

Up next for West is a showdown with powerful Enka on Friday night at 7 p.m.

“That’s going to be a good game. We’ve got to be ready. We can’t be like we were tonight and just turn it off. Baseball’s the kind of game where if you do turn it off, it’s very hard to turn it back on,” coach Hyatt said.

Hyatt Ks 11 in win over ACA

By Dean Hensley

Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.

Patrick Sullivan/Times-News

West Henderson’s baseball team is an offensive monster, but with senior pitcher Daniel Hyatt on the mound, the Falcons hardly need their loaded bats.

The Winthrop-bound senior fired 11 strikeouts and held a talented Asheville Christian Academy squad to just four hits Tuesday night as West cruised to an 11-3 non-conference win at home. Hyatt also helped his own cause at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Daniel’s dad, Jim Hyatt, coach of the Falcons, was proud of his son’s performance but believed it could’ve been even better.

“I think he pitched OK overall. He could’ve done a little bit more. He walked the leadoff batter in the first inning, and that led to a run, and then in the top of the fifth, we walked another batter with two outs and that led to the other two runs,” coach Hyatt said. “But anytime you can shut down a team like that, you have to be happy in the dugout. I believe they were state champions in their private school league.”

Daniel Hyatt improved to 2-0 on the year. His other win was a week ago — a nine-strikeout, no-hitter against Carolina High in South Carolina.

After surrendering the unearned run in the top of the first, West answered with five runs off five hits, including a two-run double off the wall by Taylor Reeves, in the bottom half of the inning.

Hyatt settled in on the mound, striking out the side in the top of the second. He held the Lions’ bats silent until the top of the fifth when he gave up two runs off two hits and a walk. But by then, the Falcons (4-0) held a commanding 8-2 lead.

Hyatt went the distance, giving up the three runs, one earned, off four hits with two walks.

Dillon Baker went 3-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt, and Jesse Ivens also had a good night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

West leadoff man Zac Beard went 2-for-3, and Tyler Isgett, Tyler Austin and Forrest Koontz each went 2-for-4 as the Falcons ended the night with 18 hits.

Matt Justice was the only ACA batter to have multiple hits. He went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

“They are a quality team, and they didn’t quit. It was a good win for us early in the year,” coach Hyatt said.

Up next for West is a road game at Tuscola today.

“They’re a good team, too, so we’re going to go with Tyler Austin. He’s our other No. 1, so we’re going to go over there and see what we can do,” coach Hyatt said.

Linescore

r h e

ACA: 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 — 3 4 2

West: 5 0 2 1 0 3 x — 11 18 1

Winning pitcher: Daniel Hyatt (2-0) (7 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 11 Ks, 2 BBs)

Losing pitcher: Matt Justice (2 1/3 IP, 7 R, 5 ER, 8 H, 0 Ks, 1 BB)

West wins against ACA

Click here to see a video from tonight's game against Asheville Christian Academy

Falcons rout Bearcats

By Jeremy Trantham
Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, March 13, 2009 at 11:27 p.m.

West Henderson wasn’t about to let the weather cancel another game against rival Hendersonville.

The Falcons pressed on, despite a chilly intermittent drizzle, and came away with an 11-1, five-inning nonconference home win on Friday. Junior Taylor Reeves allowed one solo home run in 4 2/3 innings to pick up the win in his first varsity start.

“We had to play them because their schedule is so compacted there’s no place to play them if we (didn’t) play them today,” said West coach Jim Hyatt.

West moves to 4-0 on the season while Hendersonville drops to 0-2, with both losses to Henderson County rivals. The two teams were scheduled to play on March 6 at Green Meadows, but snow forced a cancellation.

Ben Walgenbach kept the Bearcats in the game early, allowing just four unearned runs through the first four innings, before tiring in the fifth. The Falcons, who held a 4-1 lead at the time, knocked Hendersonville’s junior ace from the mound with four straight hits and a walk to start the bottom of the fifth.

“I should have (taken him out) earlier,” said Hendersonville coach Mark Cook. “Ben’s a strong kid, he’s been lifting and throwing a lot. I thought he had good control and his curve ball was working good.”

After Wesley Cook had relieved Walgenbach, a throwing error, Hendersonville’s second of the final frame, allowed Zach Beard to score the game-ending run.

“Not a great night for baseball — cold, wet,” Hyatt said. “I thought both teams were a little sluggish because of the weather. He pitched well and kept us off balance for awhile. He got a little tired and we were able to put some things together.”

Beard was 2-for-4 with two runs, a double and a game-high four RBIs for West. Tyler Isgett went 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs.

West took a 4-0 lead in the second as the Falcons took advantage of Hendersonville’s first error. Beard and Isgett provided big two-out hits with back-to-back two-run singles.

The score remained the same until Hendersonville senior Wesley Cook, the coach’s son, launched a solo home run over West’s newly installed taller center-field fence.

“The ball wasn’t carrying great,” Hyatt said. “Of course, the Cook boy carried one pretty good. When he hits it the ball doesn’t have to be carrying great.”

Reeves scattered five hits while striking out six and walking one as the Bearcats stranded seven baserunners.

“Our bats worked at times, but we left too many kids on,” Cook said.

“For his first varsity start I thought (Reeves) pitched well,” Hyatt said. “He made a couple of mistakes and was behind (in the count) a little bit, but I think the more he’s out there on the mound the better he’ll get.”

Jesse Ivens also had a big night at the plate for West, going 2-for-2 with two runs and walk.

While the two late errors helped the Falcons reach the 10-run mercy rule to end the game, Hendersonville’s defense made noticeable improvement since a 12-4 loss at North Henderson earlier in the week.

“Better performance,” Cook said. “Ben pitched well. Wesley came in and threw well. Coach Hyatt and these kids at West have a good team. Same thing early in the year for us, we made some errors and they hurt us.”

Linescore

;;;;;r;h;e

Hendersonville:;0 0 0;0 1 x;x;—;1;5;3

West:;0 4 0;0 7 x;x;—;11;10;1

Winning pitcher: Taylor Reeves (1-0) (4 2/3 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 H, 6 Ks, 3 BBs)

Losing pitcher: Ben Walgenbach (0-1) (4 IP, 9 R, 4 ER, 9 H, 5 Ks, 4 BBs)

Mike Dirks' Photos from West @ Polk County

MIKE DIRKS/TIMES-NEWS 10-March-2009

West routs Polk County, 17-6

West Henderson celebrates as Dillon Baker crosses the plate after hitting a home run against Polk County on Tuesday. (Photo by Mike Dirks)

By Dean Hensley
Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.

COLUMBUS — West Henderson’s baseball team once again has plenty of firepower, and that’s exactly what Polk County coach Ty Stott wanted his team to see early in the season.

The Falcons exploded for five home runs Tuesday night en route to a 17-6, six-inning mercy-rule win at Polk. In three games so far this season, seven different West batters have hit homers.

Leading the way Tuesday was cleanup hitter Forrest Koontz, who went 4-for-4 with a home run, a double and two RBIs.

“We knew West was going to be good. They just have too many hitters,” Stott said. “This is going to really help us down the road, facing tough non-conference teams like this. I know it’s going to help us. It’s got to help us.”

Tyler Isgett started the home run derby with a two-run shot off Polk starter Danny Fraga in the top of the third that made it 7-0. In the next inning, Tyler Austin ripped a two-run shot over the center-field fence and two batters later, Dillon Baker repeated Austin’s blast with another two-run shot. That ended the evening for Fraga, who went 2 1/3 innings and gave up nine runs, four earned, off seven hits with two walks and a strikeout.

“Offensively, you’ve got to be happy when you put 17 runs on the board. So, I was happy with that. But defensively, we made too many mistakes, and I think we still have a long way to go from where we want to be,” Falcon coach Jim Hyatt said after his team improved to 3-0.

Stott went with Brandon Jolley to start off the top of the fourth, and the homers continued. Koontz hit a solo shot to center, and then things got a little testy when Jolley plunked Austin. But order was restored, and Jolley didn’t hit another batter. Taylor Reeves then ripped a two-run homer, and Matt Roberts followed with an RBI double to make it 13-0 after 3 1/2 innings.

But the Wolverines (2-1) didn’t quit, scoring two runs off two West errors in the bottom of the fourth. Polk then held West scoreless in the top of the fifth and kept the game going with three runs in the bottom half of the inning that included a two-run double from J.P. Ruth.

The Falcons answered with four runs in the top of the sixth to push the lead back up to more than 10 runs and end it.

“We should’ve ended it after five, but those back-to-back errors killed us. I was happy to see us respond with four more runs to finish it off,” Hyatt said.

Both teams return to action Friday. West is at home against Hendersonville, and Polk is on the road at Brevard.

Linescore

r h e

W. Henderson: 3 2 4 4 0 4 x — 17 16 3

Polk County: 0 0 0 2 3 0 x — 6 5 3

Winning pitcher: Tyler Austin (1-0) (6 IP, 6 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 Ks, 1 BB)

Losing pitcher: Danny Fraga (0-1) (2 1/3 IP, 9 R, 4 ER, 7 H, 1 K, 2 BBs)

West boys shut out Swain in First Baseball Game of Season

Published: Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 11:04 p.m.

BASEBALL

West Henderson 21

Swain County 0

r h e

West: 1 5 7 8 0 x x — 21 17 0

Swain: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 1 7

Winning pitcher: Daniel Hyatt (1-0) (4 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 7 Ks, 1 BBs)

Losing pitcher: McClure (0-1) (2 2/3 IP, 12 R, 3 ER, 10 H, 1 Ks, 1 BBs)

Leading hitters: West — Daniel Hyatt 3-for-4, home run, four RBIs Dillon Baker 1-for-4, home run, three RBIs Taylor Reeves 3-for-4, home run, double, three RBIs Jesse Ivens 1-for-4, grand-slam home run, five RBIs, Matt Roberts 3 for 3 with a double on a one-hopper to the fence. Swain — McMahan, 1-for-2. NOTE: No more than three hitters per team.

Highlights: West Henderson hit four home runs to win this nonconference season opener for both teams.

Records: West, 1-0 Swain, 0-1.

Next game: West, today at Hendersonville.

Cake from Mills River Restaurant

Cake from Mills River Restaurant

Cake from Mills River Restaurant

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