East Hamilton shortstop Kyle Cox tags out Warren County's Jett Urtubees, who was attempting to steal second base in the second inning after reaching on an error.
photo by Dennis Norwood
It’s going to be all about District 5-AAA in the Region 3-AAA baseball championship game on Wednesday.
East Hamilton shook off a slow start, scored four runs in the fourth inning and went on to whip visiting Warren County, 10-1, Monday in the regional semifinal in the Hurricanes’ first postseason game on their new field.
The impressive victory enabled the 5-AAA champion Hurricanes (20-11) to advance to the region title game where they will face district rival Soddy-Daisy at 5 p.m.
The Trojans (21-10) traveled to Cookeville and upended the District 6-AAA champion Cavaliers, 3-0, on Monday behind the brilliant one-hit, 13-strikeout performance by senior right-hander Andy Wright.
Cookeville eliminated the Trojans from the 2014 postseason by beating them in the region title game.
Coach Steve Garland’s Hurricanes beat the Trojans, 12-3, for the district tourney championship and are riding a five-game winning streak.
“It’s going to be fun,” Garland said of the fifth matchup with the Trojans.
“It’s another challenge just like every other time you play them. Both teams will be excited to have another opportunity to play for a region championship with a chance of going to the sectional on Friday.”
The Trojans won the first meeting, 12-9, earlier in the year. The Hurricanes have taken the last three games by a combined score of 19-6.
“They’ve got a great ballclub,” Trojans coach Jared Hensley said. “They know us and we know them. We have to continue doing what we did (Monday), and that’s play the way Soddy-Daisy is supposed to play the game.”
The Hurricanes led the Pioneers (16-16) 1-0 after three innings, that run coming on Josh Aslinger’s sacrifice fly that scored Matt Watters – he reached on a one-out single – in the first.
Hurricanes right-hander Nick Fahler (5-2), who finished with a four-hitter and six strikeouts, walked Chayse Frye with one out in the fourth. Lucas Rogers struck out and Isaac Golden’s single to left field pushed Frye to third, but left-fielder Garett Stone’s throw was off the mark and Frye scored Warren County’s lone run, tying the game at 1-all.
Fahler stymied the Pioneers over the final three innings.
“Nick was exactly what we needed him to be,” Garland said. “He mostly caught last year, but wanted to pitch. I sold him a little short in terms of what he was capable of doing on the mound. He was good tonight. He’s just a good pitcher and I think Carson-Newman is getting a diamond in the rough. The dude is going to be tough.”
The Hurricanes roughed up starter Will Sweeten, a side-arm righty with a quirky, slow-motion delivery, in the bottom of the fourth.
Aslinger singled to left and Nick Woods singled to center. Fahler was hit by a pitch. Garrett Owen struck out, but Hunter Smith delivered a run-scoring single to left. Stone, making amends for his outfield error, stroked a two-run single up the middle. Matt Milita single to left, East Hamilton’s fifth hit of the inning, sending Matt Wingard – he was running for Smith – home to extend the lead to 5-1.
“Stone’s hit was a key play in the game I thought,” Garland said. “We always say if you allow a run to come in, you better drive in two and he did that. I was real proud of Garett’s effort.”
Aslinger and Woods each singled in the fifth and Fahler’s hit scored Woods. A single to right by Garrett Owen drove in another run that pushed the Hurricanes’ lead to 7-1.
Pinch-hitter Nick Gratigny was hit by a pitch to open the sixth and Kyle Cox reached on an error, as did Jeffrey Coleman. Woods laced an RBI single to center, Fahler added a sacrifice fly and pinch-hitter Tyler Holloway’s hit to left gave East Hamilton it’s final run.
“We get 12 hits with our guy throwing a four-hitter,” Garland said, “and we’re in pretty good shape.”
Woods had three hits in the game. Aslinger, who has been on a postseason tear, went 2-for-3.
Soddy-Daisy 3, Cookeville 0: Wright, a Middle Tennessee State University signee, was right on target against the No. 6-ranked Cavaliers, who were 28-2 with a weak 104 strength of schedule ranking, according to coachT.com’s web site.
They were no match for Wright’s superlative performance.
“Andy Wright was absolutely dominant tonight,” Hensley said. “We knew if he went out there, competed and threw strikes he would be a good matchup against Cookeville. He did just that. We couldn’t ask for anything more than what he gave us.”
The only hit Wright allowed was a check-swing infield single by Stephen Milles in the third inning.
Before and after that hit, Wright was lights out. His 13 strikeouts were a career best.
Wright also started the Trojans’ first scoring opportunity with a single in the second inning. Grant Cordell walked and Justin Cooke reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Levi Thornton hit into a 1-2-3 double play. Cale Morgan reached on an infield single to score Cordell and on a subsequent error on the play Cooke was thrown out at the plate.
“I cost us that run,” Hensley said. “I got greedy and gambled.”
In the third, Chandler Sulcer walked, Dillon Clift singled and both runners advanced on a Garvin Rogers groundout. Wright was intentionally walked. Cordell delivered a two-run single to right field to cap the game scoring.
LINESCORES
Warren county 000 100 0 – 1 4 3
East Hamilton 100 423 x – 10 12 2
Sweeten, McColloch (5) and Reish; Fahler and Owen.
Soddy-Daisy 012 000 0 – 3 6 0
Cookeville 000 000 0 – 0 1 2
Wright and Clift; Webb and Dronebarger.
(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)
Right-handed pitcher Nick Fahler pitched a complete game four-hitter Monday in East Hamilton's 10-1 Region 3-AAA semifinal baseball victory over Warren County. The Hurricanes play rival Soddy-Daisy on Wednesday for the region title and a spot in the Class AAA sectional.
photo by Dennis Norwood