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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

Parker Simmons delivered two hits, Jackson Sink drew four walks and Rylan Koontz and Caleb Adkins provided shutout relief pitching as Davie’s JV baseball team salvaged a split in a doubleheader at Forbush on May 7.

Game one saw the Falcons eke out a 4-2 win by pushing across two runs in the bottom of the fifth. That left Davie with an 0-3 record, including its second narrow loss in a row (Davie lost 7-6 at South Iredell a week earlier).

Connor Keaton went 2 for 3 with two stolen bases, Sink went 1-3 and Simmons managed a walk – but that was it as far as Davie’s hits. It struck out 13 times against a formidable pitcher.

“They actually had a kid that they moved down from varsity who wasn’t getting a lot of time,” coach Joey Anderson said.

Despite the outcome, Davie got solid pitching. Braeden Rodgers struck out seven in 4.2 innings, and only two of his four runs were earned. Cole Whitaker retired all four batters he faced in a span of 11 pitches.

“Braeden and Cole threw real well,” Anderson said.

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In game two, Davie was outhit 5-4 but won going away, 10-2. How in the world did that happen? The War Eagles took 14 walks, that’s how.

Simmons went 2 for 2, while Cooper Bliss and Dane Porter had one hit each. But Forbush’s wild pitching was the story. Besides Sink’s four walks, Keaton had three and Simmons and Hunter Testa had two apiece. Craig McBride, Ty Miller and Porter had one. And Keaton stole two bags.

“I was much happier with the ball we played today than the slow start we had,” Anderson said. “It feels like we’re getting there. Some of them are playing positions they’ve never played.”

After Connor Berg logged three innings, Koontz (three innings, one hit) and Adkins (one inning, two Ks) were strong in relief.

No one made a better defensive play than center fielder Miller, and no one had a better defensive day than third baseman Simmons.

“We played very good defense (in the win),” Anderson said. “Ty had an amazing play in the outfield. He supermanned one in the gap. They would have probably scored two runs and probably would have changed the game at that point.

“Parker played a very good third base all day. I mean, he had a lot of action.”

Even though it took Davie four games to break into the win column, Anderson is relishing the opportunity to coach this crew.

“They’re doing a real good job,” he said. “This is a fun group. It really is.”