Whited sparkles in return to mound for Bulldogs
By Ken Lay
After a long absence due to injury, Isaiah Whited made a triumphant return to the mound for the Bearden High School Bulldogs Thursday night.
Whited, a senior, hadn’t pitched in two months. He was injured, suffering a broken bone in his non-pitching hand.
He took the mound against the Beavers (14-15) just hours after being medically cleared.
“I was just cleared this morning and I called and told (pitching coach Chris Hatfield) that I was cleared and I was taking the ball,” Whited said.
When he got the ball, he pitched four innings and gave up one run, one hit and one walk. He also hit a batter and struck out six on the Bulldogs’ senior night. He threw 56 pitches (including 38 strikes) in the game, which was called after five innings due to the TSSAA mercy rule.
“This felt really good, to get the chance to come out here and pitch on senior night, especially since this is my senior year.”
After walking Carter Benson with one out in the top of the first inning, Whited retired five straight hitters.
He gave up a run in the top of the third when Benson’s RBI single plated Tucker Fowlkes, who was hit by a pitch, stole second and took third on a passed ball.
Bearden coach Dave Prichard was pleased with Whited’s performance against the Beavers.
“He looked really good, considering that he hadn’t pitched in two months,” Prichard said. “It’s good to have him back.
“He’ll get one more start before the district tournament and he’ll give us some depth on the mound.”
The Bulldogs (24-5) played Grace Christian Academy in a two-game series on Friday and Saturday (results were not available at press time). Bearden returns to the diamond tonight (April 21) as it hosts Hardin Valley Academy at 6:30 p.m.
The winner of tonight’s game will win the District 4-4A regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming district tournament. The Hawks won the first game, 11-3, on April 2, at HVA.
And Whited couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to start against the Hawks.
“I wonder if I’ll start Monday,” he said.
Whited’s return gave the Bulldogs another reason to celebrate on senior night, but the Bulldogs flexed their offensive muscle early and often as they scored six runs in the bottom of the first frame. Bearden sent 10 hitters to the plate and chased Karns starter Owen Burnette from the mound with one out in the inning.
In the frame, Matt Schroeffler came up with a two run single and Logan Benko had an RBI double. Connor Sipe delivered the big blow as he hit a three-run triple to make the score 6-0.
In the second, Bearden added two more runs as a double by Schroeffler plated Grayson Wright and Evan Cope.
Bearden scored two more runs in the fourth as Isaiah Allen came home on a wild pitch and Sipe had a two-run single.
Whited threw one pitch in the seventh before Sipe took over on the hill and pitched around a pair of walks and kept the Beavers off the scoreboard.
