Jeff Linville | The News
Surry Central’s Cole Fowler strikes out a South Stokes batter in the second inning Monday night. He went the distance, allowing just one run in the 2-1 victory.
Jeff Linville | The News
Central’s Cole Fowler smashes a long fly ball to left. The pitcher nearly helped his cause as the shot came close to being a three-run homer in the bottom of the first.
DOBSON — The Golden Eagles baseball team won its conference opener 2-1 over South Stokes Monday night.
Surry Central broke a 1-1 tie in its last at-bat, and pitcher Cole Fowler went the distance for the win.
The game was scheduled for today, but with a threat of precipitation, the schools agreed to play one day early.
The junior Fowler was the Eagles’ offensive firepower in their last game, a narrow 4-3 loss to Alleghany. He had half of the Eagles’ four hits, including a home run and all three RBIs.
In this one, he pitched all seven innings and only gave up a solo homer to the Sauras’ Josh Bray in the sixth inning. That tied the game at 1-1.
The Eagles nearly posted three runs in the first inning.
Austin Stevens started things off with a long fly ball to left. The ball had a chance to go out, but the cold air slowed the ball, which shorthopped the fence. Stevens slid into second with a double.
Caleb Mitchell lofted a fly ball to right that might have advanced Stevens, but the catcher held up at second.
Jess Wilmoth followed with a grounder through the left side to put runners on the corners.
Then Fowler lifted another long fly ball to left, but the ball just wasn’t carrying well, and the leftfielder tracked it down.
The Eagles got their first run in the fourth inning off an RBI double from Jake Wilmoth.
The final run came off a walk and a couple of errors by the Sauras that brought Jake Wilmoth around.
The Eagles improved to 2-1 on the season. Fowler also earned the decision in the Eagles’ 4-3 win over West Wilkes on Feb. 27.
The Eagles return two all-conference performers in Stevens and Forest Kimbrell.
Stevens, a senior, also pitches when he’s not behind the plate, while Kimbrell, a junior, in entrenched at shortstop.
Central is a young team this year with just three seniors on the roster: Stevens, Mitchell and Jake Henley.
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