The Belfry baseball team closed out the regular season by going 2-2 this past week as they topped Floyd Central (6-0) and Shelby Valley (13-7) while dropping games to Johnson Central (11-7) and Paintsville (8-3).
JOHNSON CENTRAL 11 BELFRY 7 (Monday, May 8)
The Golden Eagles scored eight runs over the final two innings to come back from a 7-3 deficit and beat Belfry 11-7 on Monday night.
Jonathan Banks went 3-4 for Belfry while Steven Banks had a double and a triple while knocking in two runs. Michael Hagy singled twice, scored two times, and knocked in one while Isaiah Stanley singled and had two RBIs.
Chase Varney and Noah Brown added doubles while Jake Varney singled.
Brown took the loss as he pitched 1.2 innings in relief giving up five unearned runs on five hits with no strikeouts. Jonathan Banks started and went 4.2 innings allowing six runs, three earned, on eight hits with three Ks and six walks.
JCHS: 0 3 0 0 0 3 5 — 11 13 2
BHS: 0 3 0 4 0 0 0 — 7 11 1
BELFRY 6 FLOYD CENTRAL 0 (Tuesday, May 9)
The Pirates got back on track on Tuesday as they picked up a shutout win over the Jaguars by a final of 6-0.
Freshman Chase Varney pitched a gem as he went six scoreless innings on the bump allowing only one hit while striking out 11 batters. Cater Jude pitched the seventh inning and struck out a batter.
Jake Varney was on fire at the plate as he went a perfect 4-4 with three RBIs while Chase Varney went 2-3 with a double and scored two runs.
Noah Brown also had two hits, Steven Banks doubled in a run, Isaiah Stanley had an RBI single, and Jonathan Banks also singled.
FCHS: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 2 1
BHS: 0 0 2 1 0 3 x — 6 11 2
BELFRY 13 SHELBy VALLEY 7 (Thursday, May 11)
Belfry brought out their big sticks against Shelby Valley as they clubbed two home runs, had seven extra base hits, and 16 hits total in a 13-7 win.
Jake Varney and Steven Banks both went yard as Varney also had a double going 3-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored while Banks went 2-4 and knocked in a team best three runs.
Jonathan Banks also went 3-5 with a triple and an RBI while Noah Brown went 3-4 with a double. Isaiah Stanley singled twice and scored two runs while Jonah Adkins and Michael Hagy both doubled, with Adkins picking up an RBI.
Chase Varney singled home a run and Devin Jude picked up an RBI to round out the offense for Belfry.
Adkins got the win on the mound as he went five innings and allowed five runs, one earned, on six hits with six strikeouts and one walk. Stanley pitched two innings in relief and gave up two unearned runs while striking out four batters.
SVHS: 0 2 0 0 3 2 0 — 7 7 1
BHS: 6 2 1 3 0 1 x — 13 16 8
PAINTSVILLE 8 BELFRY 3 (Friday, May 12)
Belfry dropped their final regular season game of 2023 to Paintsville on Friday night as the Tigers won by a final of 8-3.
Steven Banks had a pair of hits and an RBI for Belfry while Jake Varney also singled home a run. Jonathan Banks singled for the only other Belfry hit.
8th grader Carter Jude took the loss as he went four innings and allowed six runs, five earned, on six hits with no Ks and three walks. Noah Brown fired three innings in relief allowing two runs on four hits while fanning two hitters.
Coach Michael Hagy’s Pirates closed out the regular season with a record of 19-13 and will not turn their attention to the postseason.
Belfry got the No. 1 seed in the 60th District Tournament as they will await the winner of Pike Central and Phelps in the championship game on May 17 at 6 p.m. All 60th District games will be played at Pike Central while the ensuing 15th Region Tournament will be at the Stonecrest Sports Complex in Prestonsburg.
PHS: 2 1 0 3 1 0 1 — 8 10 3
BHS: 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 — 3 4 3
HD Media reporter Jarrid McCormick covers sports in Southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky.