Gilmer wins warmup game

Mirror Photo / M.L. Kirby PAUL CHESNUT throws in the seventh inning. Chesnut was one of five Gilmer pitchers to see action against Mount Pleasant Chapel Hill Tuesday. Gilmer won the warmup game, 7-6.

The Gilmer Buckeyes and Mount Pleasant Chapel Hill prepared for the baseball playoffs Tuesday (April 29) with a warmup game. Gilmer won 7-6 as they improved their record to 20-6. In the process, Coach Joey Hector gave work to his five reserve pitchers who have seem limited action this spring.

He opened the game with Garrett Adkins, went to Ben Griffith, Colton Shaver, and Mikey Wilson, before closing with Paul Chesnut.

On the offensive ledger, Jake Ashley opened the game with a double and went on to hit 3-for-5, scoring a run and getting an RBI on Brennan Thompson’s fielder’s choice.

Dustin Varnado went 2-for-3 with a run scored when Adkins hit a double in the first inning.

Kyle Bowden then doubled to score Adkins, giving the Buckeyes a 3-1 lead after one.

After no scores in the second and third innings, Gilmer logged two in the fourth and two in the fifth.

Justin Fielden doubled and Dustin Hardin walked before Ashley drove the two in with a single in the fourth. D.J. Stanley was hit by a pitch and stole second, while Fielden walked and Hardin reached on an error in the fifth to load the bases.

Hunter Harrison then hit a sacrifice fly to score a run batted in.

Leading 3-1 going into the fourth, Gilmer opened the door for Chapel Hill in the fourth, allowing two runs to score. Still leading 5-3, Gilmer added two runs in the fifth, but so did the Red Devils, keeping the 2-run margin, but raising the score to 7-5. Gilmer gave up one more run in the sixth before stopping the Red Devil attack.

Friday Gilmer played at Bullard, while they await the Kaufman-Van bi-district battle to determine their next opponent.

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