Clutch Eighth-Inning Hits Push Hurricanes Past Trojans, 3-1

Ooltewah Wins To Stay Alive; Will Face Trojans On Monday

  • Sunday, May 3, 2015
  • Larry Fleming
East Hamilton's Garrett Owen had one hit Sunday, but it was huge. The designated hitter's clutch two-out double in the eighth inning provided the go-ahead run in the Hurricane's 3-1 win over Soddy-Daisy in the District 5-AAA tournament game at McMinn County High School.
East Hamilton's Garrett Owen had one hit Sunday, but it was huge. The designated hitter's clutch two-out double in the eighth inning provided the go-ahead run in the Hurricane's 3-1 win over Soddy-Daisy in the District 5-AAA tournament game at McMinn County High School.
photo by Dennis Norwood

 ATHENS, Tenn. – When most everything else failed, East Hamilton decided to work the corners.

That plan worked perfectly.

Garrett Owen ripped a run-scoring double that hit third base and rolled into left field, Hunter Smith added an RBI single just inside first base bag and the second-seeded Hurricanes upended No.1 Soddy-Daisy, 3-1, Sunday afternoon in a District 5-AAA baseball tournament winner's bracket final thriller at McMinn County High School.

With the victory, East Hamilton advanced to the championship game on Tuesday where the loser’s bracket survivor will have to win twice to keep coach Steve Garland’s squad from capturing the 2015 title.

“I’m excited about that,” said Smith, a left-handed pitcher who scattered six hits and struck out three before giving way to reliever Nick Woods in the eighth. “But we’re not going to relax. We’re going to let the other teams come to us, knowing they’ll give us everything they’ve got.”

In the day’s first game, Ooltewah notched a 5-2 win over McMinn County in an elimination game on a sunny, warm day at Cherokee Field.  The Owls scored twice in the sixth inning on a wild pitch and Vince Vantiegham’s hit to center before a near capacity crowd. The Owls’ following appeared to outnumber the Tribe’s contingent.

On Monday, the Owls (14-17) and Trojans (19-9) clash at 6 p.m. with the winner moving on for a shot at East Hamilton in the championship game. Or games.

Ironically, the Trojans earned one of the two 5-AAA berths in the Region 3-AAA tournament by capturing the regular-season title and No. 1 seed.

“I like the way we battled today,” Owls coach Brian Hitchcox said. “We scored almost every imaginable way, but the bottom line is we won and get to play (Monday). From when we were 7-15 two or three weeks ago to now is a big-time turnaround. We’ll have all kids on deck against Soddy-Daisy.”

The feature game was a battle of wills.

For five innings, a run was worth a gold bar at Fort Knox, but neither team could cash in.

The Hurricanes (18-11) scored a run in the top of the sixth and the Trojans (19-9) matched that in the bottom of the inning.

East Hamilton’s Kyle Cox was hit by a Gavin Rogers pitch opening the eighth. Josh Aslinger flied out to Tre Carter in center.

With Cox off and running on the pitch, Woods singled to right to put runners on the corner.

“That set us up for Garrett’s hit,” Garland said.

Fahler popped out to Trojans catcher Dillon Clift in foul territory.

Owen then smashed a grounder toward third. The ball hit the top of the bag and rolled into left field, all the while the home plate umpire was emphatically signaling the ball fair. Owen had a clutch double that scored Cox with the go-ahead run.

“I’ve probably never done that,” Owen said, referring to the ball hitting third base. “I saw it hit the base and got chills running toward first. I should have done better the whole game, but I got the clutch hit at the right time and I feel good about that.”

That was Owen’s lone hit in four at-bats.

Smith was up next.

He crushed a blue darter just inside the first-base bag for a single to push in an insurance run.

"Sometimes this game is harsh," Soddy-Daisy coach Jared Hensley said.

Smith and Garland had more to say about the senior’s stout-hearted pitching effort than his prowess in the batter's box.

“Hunter will be the first to say that he doesn’t light up the radar gun, but he’s got good movement and locates and competes,” Garland said. “He believes in his stuff and the defense behind him. He’s 5-0 this year, so this is not a shocker.

“He pitched the championship game as a sophomore when we were in District 6-AA and beat Central in one of the best game’s I’ve ever had pitched. We always have a chance when he’s on the mound.”

Hensley also chimed in on Smith’s performance.

“Hats off to Hunter,” he said. “He gave us some problems earlier in the year (a 4-2 Hurricanes win at Soddy-Daisy) and he did it again today.”

The Trojans had one more shot at overtaking the Hurricanes, but faced Woods, the Hurricanes' closer, in the eighth.

Chandler Sulcer reached on Cox’s error. Clift hit a ball to deep center field that Matt Milita chased down near the fence. Rogers, who did not start due to his late arrival at the ballpark, hit another drive to deep center. Again Milita ran it down near the fence.

Grant Cordell, who had two of the Trojans’ six hits (Carter also had two), grounded to deep short. Cox, who moved to shortstop when Woods went to the mound, snagged the ball, twirled and threw a strike to first baseman Lee Hester to end the game.

With that final out, Woods picked up is fourth save of the season.

Garland, who was the Trojans’ baseball coach before going to East Hamilton, assessed his team’s defense.

“Cox made a ridiculously stupid (that’s a good thing, folks) play at short to end the game,” he said. “Hester has been a good glove at first all year. (Right fielder) Aslinger made a great catch while crashing into the fence and Matt Milita has been running down everything for the last two days.

“And any time Nick Fahler pitches a complete game the day before and gets behind the plate to do a great job says a lot about his competitive character.”

Hensley was frustrated even before Sunday’s game started.

“We weren’t very professional today" he said. "We had some guys show up late because some guys stopped and got food. I hate that we blew a good opportunity, but I told them sometimes you get what you deserve. We didn't deserve it today.

“We came up here to win it and host a regional game. Obviously, we can still do that. It’s not over, but we’ve got to be more businesslike from here on out and commit to what’s important and do the things Soddy-Daisy baseball is known for.”

East Hamilton took a 1-0 lead in the sixth when Matt Watters walked, raced to third on Aslinger’s one-out double and scored on a wild pitch.

The Trojans answered that in their half of the inning. Sulcer singled, stole second, went to third on an infield groundout and scored on Andy Wright’s clutch single through the left side.

Ooltewah 5, McMinn County 2: Still stinging from Saturday’s tough loss, the Owls grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fourth and relied on starter C.J. Harden and reliever Ethan Walls to hold it.

Ooltewah’s London Elrod doubled and scored on a throwing error in the fifth and added two more runs in the sixth when Bradley walked and eventually came home on the second wild pitch of the inning and Vince Vantiegham drove in the final run with a single up the middle.

“C.J. threw the ball well,” Hitchcox said. “He was sometimes sporadic, but made some good pitches and the defense made plays behind him. When we needed a strikeout guy, Ethan got it and slammed the door on McMinn.”

The Cherokees cut Ooltewah’s lead to 3-2 in the sixth. Hayden Fesmire doubled to right-center. Steven Cruze’s single moved Fesmire to third and chased Harden. Walls came on in relief and struck out Chris Derrick before giving up Dylan Leamon’s run-scoring infield hit. Walls ended the inning by retiring Cooper Roberts on a fly ball to right.

In the seventh, Walls, a sophomore, gave up a one-out walk, but fanned Ethan Belcher and walked Fesmire. Vantiegham, the Owls’ catcher, then picked Fesmire off first with a perfect throw to Caleb Collins.

 “I was a little nervous when I went out there,” Walls said, “but I had to get that second out. They scored a run, but I didn’t want to give up another one that would have tied the game.”

Harden worked seven innings, giving up six hits and walking three. He did not record a strikeout, but he’s not a strikeout pitcher.

“C.J. has probably had four starts and two relief appearances,” Hitchcox said. “But most of the teams he’s pitched against are as good, if not better, than the teams we’ve faced in our district. He threw against Vestavia Hills and Brentwood and that’s good competition. That’s allowed him to grow up.”

Said Harden, “I felt good out there and I knew the defense would back me up. I pitched pretty well against them earlier and I needed to do that again. I tried to hit my spots and get some ground balls. We’re playing really good right now and I think we’ve got a good chance to go to the regional.”

Duncan and Elrod each had two hits for the Owls.

LINESCORES

East Hamilton                   000 001 02 – 3 6 2

Soddy-Daisy                      000 001 00 – 1 6 1

Smith, Woods (8) and Fahler; Maynor, Rogers (6) and Clift.

McMinn County               000 101 0 – 2 7 2

Ooltewah                           000 212 x – 5 6 0

Edgeman, Eaton (6), Powers and Fesmire; Harden, Walls (6) and Vantiegham.

Tournament Schedule

At McMinn County High School

Monday

Ooltewah vs. Soddy-Daisy, 6 p.m.

Tuesday

Championship

Ooltewah-Soddy-Daisy winner vs. East Hamilton, 5 p.m., if necessary game to follow

(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)

 

 

First baseman Lee Hester stretches to the limit to snag an infield throw as a Soddy-Daisy runner hits the bag in East Hamilton's 3-1 win on Sunday. The victory advanced the Hurricanes into Tuesday night's District 5-AAA tournament championship game at 6 p.m.
First baseman Lee Hester stretches to the limit to snag an infield throw as a Soddy-Daisy runner hits the bag in East Hamilton's 3-1 win on Sunday. The victory advanced the Hurricanes into Tuesday night's District 5-AAA tournament championship game at 6 p.m.
photo by Dennis Norwood
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