The high school baseball season got underway on Monday and James River was at Glenvar to play an arch district rival right off the bat. The Highlanders prevailed by a 7-1 score.
This game was closer than the score indicates. Glenvar scored two runs in the first inning but Knights pitcher Jake Braun settled down before Glenvar scored two more in the fifth. The Knights got a run in the top of the sixth, but Glenvar put it away with a rally in the bottom of the inning to get the win. Glenvar pitcher Ryan Butler struck out a dozen batters.
The Knights will be back in action Friday with their home opener against Radford, scheduled for 5 p.m. On Monday River is at Carroll County.
“We should be pretty strong offensively, but we are going to have some new faces on the mound this year,” said LB coach Todd Smith. “Missing last year not only hurt the Senior Class of 2020, but it also hurt the younger guys that needed that year of development and experience. But everybody is pretty much in the same boat, so we will adjust and work it out as we go.”
