It's still early in the 2015 high school baseball season and teams are still trying to find that magic touch that provides big wins in big situations.
McCallie had better luck with that assignment on Tuesday than did host East Hamilton.
The Blue Tornado, improving to 5-4 with their second-straight win, got five strong innings from junior lefty Carson McKoon, but it was a four-run seventh that allowed the visitors to relax a bit in an 8-2 non-district win.
McKoon, who started some for the Big Blue a year ago but never earned a decision, got his first win for McCallie as he allowed just two hits through five frames. He left with a 3-2 lead after striking out three and walking two.
Both runs scored by East Hamilton came without a hit, the first on a throwing error in the second and the second on a groundout in the third.
Meanwhile, McCallie's bats came to life as six Blue Tornado players had at least one hit, the same number scored at least one run and five had at least one run batted in.
As a result, McCallie coach Greg Payne had nothing but good things to say when the game ended.
"That was just a solid game of baseball overall for us," he smiled when asked how he felt about his team's performance.
"We got good pitching, strong defense for the most part and several timely hits. I've never had a left-handed starting pitcher before, but Carson was strong from the start as all four of his pitches were working and he had total command of the strike zone.
"He's been a situational pitcher for us since last year, but we just wanted to give him a chance in a non-district game today to see how he did. He performed very well," the coach added.
The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead in the second. Josh Aslinger ripped a one-out double to right-center and scored when Garrett Stone grounded out to pitcher Nick Fahler and the throw from first to third was wide as Aslinger trotted home with the first run.
East Hamilton's second run came in the bottom of the third inning. Catcher Tyler Holloway drew a one-out walk and was replaced by courtesy runner Jeffrey Coleman, who promptly stole second and advanced to third on an infield hit by Matt Milita. He then scored on a grounder to short by Kyle Cox.
McCallie scored its first two runs in the third.
Corbin Brooksbank earned a five-pitch walk with two outs and scored on a long double by Ethan Cady. Quinn Smith followed with a triple to center, which sent Cady across the plate.
McCallie then took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when leadoff man Tyler Payne led off with a triple to the gap in right-center. He then scored on a passed ball.
A solo homer by Drew Vaughn in the sixth made it 4-2, but things went from bad to worse for the host Hurricanes in the seventh when McCallie sent eight hitters to the plate, collecting three hits and two walks.
Payne led off with another triple. After Brooksbank grounded to short, Cady walked. Smith's single up the middle plated Payne while Matthew Brock's single down the line in left allowed Cady to score. Smith then scored on another passed ball while Brock scored the final run on a sacrifice fly by Tyson Buchanan.
The Hurricanes got a one-out double from Stone in the bottom of the seventh and Matt Watters made things interesting with a single to follow. Pinch-hitter Nick Gratigny then got hit by a pitch to load the sacks with just one out, but reliever Brooksbank coaxed Garrett Owen into a grounder to third where Brock stepped on the bag for the second out before firing to first for the game-ending double play.
East Hamilton coach Steve Garland wasn't the most happy person when the game ended.
"That was bad," he started his post-game comments.
"The game was much closer until they broke it open in the seventh, but we just didn't play inspired baseball today. McCallie hit the ball and they brought it from start to finish. Credit their pitcher as he did a good job of keeping us off balance.
"We have the makings of a good team, but we aren't there yet. The only positive thing about today's game was we got to play at home. Now we have to start a new streak," Garland concluded.
Cady was the biggest star at the plate for the Blue Tornado as he finished with three hits -- including the two doubles -- while scoring twice and driving in one.
Smith followed with two hits and two RBIs while Payne also had the two triples and scored both times.
Milita, Aslinger, Stone and Watters all had one hit apiece for East Hamilton.
McCallie returns to action next Friday, March 28, when Pope John Paul II comes to town for a single game followed by a double-header on Saturday.
East Hamilton will be traveling to Murfreesboro later this week to take part in the Warrior Classic hosted by Riverdale where they will face Murfreesboro Central Magnet on Thursday.
McCALLIE 002 011 4 -- 8 10 2
EAST HAMILTON 011 000 0 -- 2 4 4
McKoon, Brooksbank (6) and Burton; Fahler, Smith (5), Watters (6) and Holloway, Owen (7).
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@Comcast.net)