Highly-rated Chapman pounds Wildcats, 11-1

At the beginning of the season, Chapman was picked to be a top contender for the region crown.

They still are.

T.J. Waldrop allowed just four hits and Chris Collins scored three runs to help the visiting Panthers top the Blacksburg Wildcats, 11-1, in a game shortened to five innings because of the 10- run rule.

"They are ninth in the state," Blacksburg coach Toby Elliott said. "They hit and we didn't."

Blacksburg's lone run came in the second on Gary Gaut's solo homer. But by that time, the Panthers were already well in control of the game, leading 6-0.

The Panthers scored three runs in the first on RBIs by Grey Ramsey, Edward Viehman and Sam Kennedy.

Chapman went ahead 6-0 in the second on a sacrifice fly by Ramsey, Viehman's sacrifice fly and Kyle Deese's double to center.

Gaut allowed nine hits, struck out one and walked two in four innings. He gave up six runs, five of which were earned.

Rusty Price, who replaced Gaut in the fifth, didn't fare any better, giving up five hits and four earned runs.

Cameron Byars, Ashby Pruitt and Brent Humphries had the other hits for the Wildcats, who fall to 3-3 in the region.

Chapman iced the game with five runs in the fifth. Kennedy lead off the inning with a single before scoring on Buff Boomer's homer.

Two more runs scored on an error before Deese singled to left for Chapman's final run of the game.

The Wildcats committed two errors.

On Tuesday, the Wildcats earned a region win without stepping on the field when Southside forfeited.

The Wildcats will travel to Chesnee for a 7 p.m. game today.