Boyd-Buchanan rolls, will test Silverdale today
Bray Wilson went to the field Monday with the idea that he would be Boyd-Buchanan’s designated hitter.
After an elbow twinge sidelined scheduled starting pitcher Casey Pate, though, Wilson went from DH and dugout to the mound and got the 13-1 District 5-A baseball tournament semifinal victory over visiting Arts & Sciences.
Wilson pitched four innings, giving up a run in the second on a single to left field by Tommy Yamashita as he stretched out his arm but allowing no hits in his next two innings of work. With an idea of preserving postseason arms, Buccaneers coach Taylor Gilley lifted him in the fifth in favor of Will Emory.
“Bray did a good job coming in and throwing strikes, sort of saved the day,” Gilley said. “I thought we did a good job swinging the bat — working the count, finding our pitch. It was nice to be done in five — save our pitchers — but in order to do that we had to have a good offensive showing.”
Boyd-Buchanan advances to the winners-bracket final at Silverdale Baptist, a 7-2 winner over Grace Academy. That game will be at 5 this afternoon. Grace will travel to Arts & Sciences for a losers-bracket semifinal game, also at 5.
Gilley didn’t hesitate to lift Pate, who has a 3-0 record and a 0.59 earned run average.
“I would want to protect a kid’s arm. He’ll go to the doctor in the morning,” Gilley said. “When he told me he had a sharp pain, I told him right then that he was through.”
Wilson was 1-for-3 with an RBI and settled in nicely as an emergency fill-in on the mound.
“I didn’t expect to be the second guy in, but when Casey came up with the arm problem, I had to step up,” he said. “I don’t think I really got loose until the second inning I pitched, but you do what you have to do.”
He improved to 4-2 for the season.
“My arm was a little tight early, and I didn’t pitch as well as I normally do,” he added.
Boyd-Buchanan hammered out 10 hits in four at-bats. Third baseman Brant Bagley drove in four runs on a sacrifice fly and two doubles.
“He did a great job today, but he’s done a good job for us all year,” Gilley said. “He’s one of four freshmen that played for us today. They’re growing up in a hurry and doing a good job.”
Thomas Baker also went 2-for-2, scoring three runs and chasing home two. Jax Price and Jacob Oliver each had two hits also.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter. com/wardgossett.