A three-run six inning gave the Blue Devils the mojo needed to halt a two-game skid.
Unicoi County used RBIs from Will Hubbard, Dylan Putman and Jacob Lynch in the frame and solid relief work from Nathan Derry to nab a 7-5 decision over Happy Valley Tuesday night at Cannon-Gouge Park in Carter County.
The win moved the Blue Devils to 3-3 on the year and 2-2 inside the Three Rivers Conference and the Warriors fell to 6-3, 3-3.
Happy Valley entered the contest after a grueling 8-7 loss to Sullivan South on Monday in 12 innings but did not balk away from the contest, breaking open a 4-1 in the fourth inning.
“We have some young kids but that’s no excuse,” Warrior skipper Caleb Moore said. “That’s what I’ve told the guys. We’re right there with the top teams in the conference and there’s no reason they can’t take these games. They just have to believe in themselves.
“We have nothing to lose. We’re just little ol Happy Valley going against these bigger schools. We just have to go out and attack these teams.”
After a long-outing the night before, the Warriors had the right approach heading into the contest, Moore added.
“We had a good game plan going in,” he said. “We just had a couple of lackadaisical innings and in high school baseball and you play in seven innings, that can come back and bite you.”
Dustun Sams started the contest for Happy Valley and pitched in the no decision while tagging across an RBI in the game. Justin Maupin and Zach Hyder also drove in runs for the Warriors.
The Blue Devils were led at the dish from a 3-for-5 outing from shortstop Shaddon Peavyhouse and Dylan Putman also drove across two runs to lead their offense.
Derry recorded the win on the mound and Taylor Hurley recorded the loss for the Warriors.
The Warriors are back in action Thursday against Cloudland and will turn around with a TRC tilt with Johnson County Friday.
Unicoi County returns to the fields on Thursday also with a trip to Mount Heritage in North Carolina.
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