Photos by Brian Hoffman
The Lord Botetourt baseball team was rained out of a game at Salem on Monday and it will be made up today at Salem’s Billy Sample Field at 5:30 p.m. It’s not a Blue Ridge District game, but it’s a big game, nonetheless.
The Cavaliers are battling for position in the coming Region 3D playoffs, and a win over Class 4 Salem would be big. Botetourt was in fourth place in the region standings before losing to William Byrd last Friday, 4-3, allowing the Terriers to pass LB in the region standings.
Botetourt’s game with Byrd last week, in Daleville, was a matter of who could throw the ball across the plate. With the game tied at 1-1 the Cavaliers scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth on wild pitches. However, in the top of the seventh three walks were crucial in Byrd scoring three runs to pull out the win.
“Tough, tough loss,” said LB coach Todd Smith. “Nolan (Medley) threw great, but his pitch count was closing in on the maximum allowed so we went with Ethan (Deschambault), who has been solid all year. Unfortunately, he didn’t have his best command and they had a timely hit off of him.”
Medley pitched the first six innings and allowed just one run and three hits. He struck out nine, including a couple big “K’s” to end the inning with runners on base. Deschambault took the loss, allowing three runs on three walks and one hit.
Offensively, Brayden Wells had two hits for Botetourt and JJ Tyree, Noah Donaho, Isaac Nichols, Caleb O’Quinn and Deshambault had one hit each.
With the loss LB dropped to 10-5 overall and 5-2 in the Blue Ridge District. They were scheduled to play winless William Fleming in a district game on Tuesday but results were too late for publication. After today’s Salem game they’re at Northside Friday and at Staunton River Monday to close out the regular season. The BRD tournament is tentatively scheduled to start next Tuesday.
LB also lost a non-district game at Pulaski County last Thursday, 15-6. Cody McConnaughey took the loss on the mound and Donaho and Cameron Bailey threw one inning each. Wells had three hits and Donaho had two.
“We just didn’t make enough plays,” said Smith.
