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Cas Blevins was efficient with his pitches and University High used a big fourth inning to wrap up the Watauga Valley Conference baseball championship.

Blevins gave up just five hits and one walk, throwing a total of 79 pitches to lead the Bucs to a 4-0 win over Unaka on Monday evening at Thomas Stadium. All of the Bucs' runs came in the fourth inning.

The Bucs improved to 14-8 overall and 9-0 in the league. The Rangers fell to 16-8 and 7-2.

"You have a goal to win the conference and get that No. 1 seed (in the district tournament)," University High coach Josh Petty said. "Baseball is a funny game and sometimes the best team doesn't win. But, we bumped our out-of-conference schedule up and that's helped us in conference."

As for his success, Blevins just tried to keep it simple.

"I tried not to walk batters and stay ahead on the count," the junior left hander said. "I pounded the strike zone and they put the ball in play, but I have a good defense behind me. I was mad I walked one batter. I didn't try to walk him."

With Blevins on the mound, the Bucs didn't need that much offense.

Brant Hare hit a two-run double to score Carter Pollock and Jack Bembry for the game's first two runs. Hare scored off a throwing error and Hunter Seehorn scored the final run off A.J. Simerly's RBI triple.

Hare talked about seizing the moment against the Unaka defense.

"I saw the left fielder move more toward center so I tried to go down the line with it," Hare said. "At first, I thought it was just a single, then I saw I could make it to second. It all worked out."

University High had only three hits as well, but the Rangers committed five costly errors. It meant John Ramsey suffered the loss despite giving up just two hits and two walks.

Daniel Ensor reached third base in the third inning for Unaka, but the Rangers couldn't come through with any runs. Their next best scoring opportunity was ended in the sixth inning when the ball hit lead-off batter David Ensor as he was running towards second base.

"We had one bad inning and they made a few more plays in the field than we did," Unaka coach Tee Blevins said. "We had a couple of errors where they ended up getting four runs out of. Then, we get a runner on and he gets hit with a line drive in the legs. That's just bad luck."

The teams are scheduled to play again Tuesday afternoon at Unaka.

University High 10

Hampton 1

HAMPTON—The Junior Bucs subdued Hampton behind a five-RBI output from Carter Pollock and Jack Bembry's outstanding work on the mound.

Pollock doubled and tripled in a 2-for-3 showing. As for Bembry, he struck out nine batters, issued no walks, surrendered just four hits and helped himself out with a bat in his hands, going 2 for 3 with a double.

Cas Blevins stuffed a double, two runs and three RBIs into a 2-for-3 day. Hunter Seehorn contributed a two-bagger while A.J. Simerly, Jakob Hare and Briley Townsend each scored twice.

Dru Owens accounted for all but one Hampton hit, going 3 for 3 with a double. He scored the team's lone run on Gavin Hardin's RBI single and had two stolen bases.

Snow flurries, temperatures in the 30s, wind-chill in the 20s, a 30-minute mid-game snow delay and the Beach Boys blaring over the public address system.

Yep, a perfect day for baseball.

University High took advantage of the brutal conditions and forged a 9-5 Watauga Valley Conference win over Hampton on Monday at Thomas Stadium.

Brant Hare had two of the Bucs' 12 hits, drove in three runs and scored once.

UH senior Cas Blevins earned the win after pitching 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five, scattered four hits and allowed three runs.

"My fastball was the only thing that I could throw consistently tonight," said Blevins. "My fingers were too cold to control the off speed stuff. It was really tough when the snow really started to fall in the middle of the game."

In top of the fifth inning, the flurries turned into an outright snow storm. The field quickly turned white and you could hardly see the outfielders. Play was halted for 30 minutes until the snow shower passed.

"We did just enough out there to win," said Bucs coach Josh Petty. "Under these conditions all you can do is try to play as clean a game as possible."

The Bulldogs (6-9, 4-5), who will host the Bucs (12-8, 7-0) today in a rematch, committed four costly errors.

"UH put the ball in play and forced us to make plays and we didn't," said Hampton coach Nick Perkins. "For us to be the baseball club we think we can be we must play cleaner and more intelligent baseball."

Carter Pollack had three hits and Kaleb Meredith two more for UH.

Hampton's Dalton Rouse had the game's only extra base hit, a double in the sixth.

Sullivan North 2

Jakob Hare had two hits, including a double, and Cas Blevins failed to yield an earned run in seven innings as the Junior Bucs opened a doubleheader sweep over North with a victory.

Blevins, who accumulated seven strikeouts as he limited the Golden Raiders to five hits, also drove in two runs. Carter Pollock had a run-scoring double for University High, which took advantage of five errors by the Golden Raiders.

A.J. Simerly added two runs, a hit, a walk and a sacrifice.

University High 16

Sullivan North 0

Led by Jakob Hare's 4-for-4, 3-RBI outburst, the Junior Bucs were in dominant form in Game 2.

Highlighting Hare's showing were a pair of triples, plus he accounted for two runs. A.J. Simerly tripled and amassed four RBIs in a 2-for-4, 2-run contribution from the top of the UH lineup.

Cas Blevins, Pollock and Jake Oligny had two hits apiece in the five-inning win. Blevins and Hunter Seehorn (double) each drove in three runs, and both of Pollock's hit were doubles.

Winner Jack Bembry racked up seven strikeouts over four innings, Esau Byrd struck out the side in the fifth and the Golden Raiders managed only three hits.

Beckley 0

KODAK—Cas Blevins put on quite a show for the Jr. Buccaneers, going 3 for 4 with four RBIs and throwing a complete-game shutout.

Blevins held Beckley to four hits, registered four strikeouts and issued no walks. He also notched a pair of stolen bases.

UH, which put the game away with a four-run sixth, got a 3-for-3 outing from Jack Bembry, who added two steals and a walk. Hunter Seehorn doubled and A.J. Simerly and Jakob Hare had two runs apiece.

BASEBALL

Cloudland 0

ROAN MOUNTAIN—One day after University High's Cas Blevins fired a five-inning perfect game against Cloudland, Carter Pollock, Essau Byrd and A.J. Simerly combined on a five-inning no-hitter for the Jr. Bucs.

Pollock and Simerly sandwiched two innings apiece around Byrd's handing of the third frame. The three pitchers combined for six strikeouts against three walks.

UH banged out 11 hits, with Hunter Seehorn (2 doubles), Jakob Hare (double, 2 runs, 2 stolen bases) and Jake Oligny (2 runs, 2 stolen bases) all going 2 for 3. Seehorn and Oligny each supplied three RBIs.

Pollock socked a two-bagger and scored two times. Simerly recorded three of the Jr. Bucs' 10 stolen bases.

UH quickly took control of the game, grabbing a 6-0 lead in the top of the first.

Cas Blevins flirted with perfection Monday at Indian Trail.

And then he reached it.

The Buccaneers' pitcher retired all 15 batters he faced in a 12-0 five-inning win over Cloudland in high school baseball action.

Blevins needed only 62 pitches, throwing 41 of them for strikes. He struck out nine batters.

"Cas pounded the zone today like he does every start," said UH head coach Josh Petty. "He mixed in his off-speed stuff, keeping hitters off-balance. He pitched a great game and got the defensive help when he needed it."

UH (7-5) spread its hitting attack around with Jake Oligny, Kaleb Meredith and Brant Hare each collecting two RBIs. Jakob Hare had two hits and A.J. Simerly scored three runs.

The Buccaneers improved to 3-0 in Watauga Valley Conference play.

This is the third segment of our spring sports Scholar Athlete Spotlight, a chance for some of today's brightest high school athletes to answer several random questions. Some of the questions will be challenging, some will be light-hearted, and some will be serious.

The Hunter Seehorn File

Senior at University High School

Baseball, catcher

• GPA: 3.8

• ACT: 34

• Favorite movie: A Few Good Men

• People I Admire: My Parents

• College choice: ETSU

Interesting Facts

• Beta Club, 2018

• People to People Ambassadors

• Will graduate with 22 completed college credits

The Four Questions

1. A job opportunity arises for you in one of the Top 10 most dangerous places in the world. You would be there six months, and then would be on a fast-track career for a high six-figure salary. Your other option is taking a job that tops out at $50,000 in a small town on the East Coast. Which path do you choose?

"I would choose to work on the East Coast," said Seehorn. "I think the risk would outweigh the reward, and I would rather be able to make an average wage safely than to make good money but feel threatened and unsafe. Also, I would be closer to family and friends if I were to stay on the East Coast, which would also factor into my decision."

2. As part of an experimental government program, you can time travel to any date and place in the past 30 years. You get 10 minutes for your visit. Where do you go?

"I would travel back to 1990, before my great-grandad died. He was Washington County Sheriff until 1976, and I would love to get a chance to listen to some of his stories, even if just for 10 minutes."

3. You are given an opportunity to make a movie about your life by a wealthy relative. What actors/actresses would you hire to play your mom, dad, siblings, relatives or friends?

"My mom would be played by Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts because their personalities are similar. Adam Sandler would play my dad because that would be pretty funny. I don't know about my brother. Maybe a young Macaulay Culkin or Sean Astin because he's pretty energetic like both of them were as kids."

4. How much potential do you see in the Class of 2018 in terms of changing the world in a better way?

"Even though it can be often looked down upon, especially in our generation, I think technology has given us a sense of limitless power, meaning what's achievable by our generation and the class of 2018 specifically is truly unprecedented. For this reason, I think the potential for world-changing ideas and actions from our class is great."