Triad pitcher Watts handcuffs Highland bats as Bulldogs drop 4-1 MVC decision

Triad pitcher Drew Watts had his A-game working early and that spelled trouble for Highland’s baseball team.

Watts pounded the strike zone early and often as he held the Bulldogs bats in check during a 4-1 win in the Mississippi Valley Conference opener for both teams Monday, April 26, at Triad High School.

This was Highland’s first look at the Knights standout hurler and Watts, who also went 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs, was as good or better than advertised.

“He (Watts) did a really nice job,” Highland coach Joel Hawkins said. “He only gave up about two or three hits and there wasn’t a whole lot of action beyond that.”

Triad quickly jumped ahead 2-0 with two runs in the bottom of the first.

Highland cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fourth, but that momentum disappeared in the bottom of the frame as sloppy Bulldogs fielding helped Triad recoup that run.

“We grabbed the ball and threw it all around the park after we scored a run to get back in it that inning,” Hawkins said.

In the bottom of the sixth, Triad (5-4) picked up an insurance rally for a 4-1 cushion.

Overall, Watts pitched seven innings, gave up just two hits, struck out six, and walked only two.

“He was the first guy that we’ve run into that was (throwing) strike one and he was in the strike zone from the outset,” Hawkins said. “We weren’t able to do much with him.”

Pitchers such as Watts have been an early challenge for Highland (5-5) as it looks for answers at the plate.

“In eight of the 10 games (we’ve played), we’ve run into really good pitching and so we’re figuring out how to really battle those at-bats against good pitchers and figure out a way to make them throw a lot of pitches,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins has a youth-loaded 24-player roster and they are still figuring out pieces. However, he is thrilled to be working with those players after having no season in 2020 due to the pandemic.

“They’re a blast (to work with),” Hawkins said. “It’s a great thing to be back out there.”

Highland follows to Triad loss with a 2-2 mark

Highland rebounded on Thursday, April 29, at Glik Park by holding on for a 4-3 victory over Triad.

The Bulldogs closed out the final week of April with a 7-1 home victory against Gibault Catholic on Friday, April 30, and then dropped a tough luck road doubleheader at Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin on Saturday, May 1, losing 4-0 and 8-7.

Highland stands at 7-7.

This story was originally published April 27, 2021 at 1:29 PM.