Brentwood Academy Eliminates McCallie, 5-0, In DII-AA State Baseball

McCallie Gives Up Five Unearned Runs In Eagles' Explosive First Inning

  • Wednesday, May 25, 2016
  • Larry Fleming
McCallie junior Corbin Brooksbank races around second and heads for third with a first-inning triple against Brentwood Academy in the Division II-AA state baseball tournament in Murfreesboro on Wednesday. The Blue Tornado lost the game, 5-0, and was eliminated from the tournament.
McCallie junior Corbin Brooksbank races around second and heads for third with a first-inning triple against Brentwood Academy in the Division II-AA state baseball tournament in Murfreesboro on Wednesday. The Blue Tornado lost the game, 5-0, and was eliminated from the tournament.
photo by Dennis Norwood

LEBANON, Tenn. – Corbin Brooksbank led off McCallie’s first inning Wednesday evening with a triple to left-center field against Brentwood Academy at Wilson Central High School.

Considering the Blue Tornado had just lost about two hours earlier to Christian Brothers, in a replay of the 2015 semifinals, and the long gapper normally would have been a great morale boost.

Unfortunately, Brentwood Academy batted first in the Division II-AA win-or-go-home showdown and the Eagles put up five unearned runs and put McCallie is a huge hole.

The Blue Tornado could not escape their dilemma and the Eagles avenged a 1-0 Tuesday loss on by posting a 5-0 victory and sending McCallie back to Chattanooga to languish over another disappointing performance in its ninth state tournament.

“I think after the loss to Christian Brothers and before we played Brentwood, we knew we could get it done,” Brooksbank said. “We beat Brentwood three times, but when they put up five runs we got down on ourselves and didn’t pick each other up like we should have.”

McCallie ends its season with a 31-7 record.

Brentwood Academy (28-12) stayed alive and will play Christian Brothers (34-10) in Thursday’s title round at Middle Tennessee State University. The game starts at 12:30 p.m. local time. Brentwood would have to beat CBHS twice to win the 2016 championship.

Christian Brothers edged the Blue Tornado, 4-3, on an eighth-inning passed ball and sent coach Greg Payne’s club into the loser’s bracket. CBHS edged McCallie, 3-2, in a controversial ending in last year’s tournament.

“This was disappointing,” Payne said. “We worked all year trying to erase the memory of last year’s game against Christian Brothers. We just didn’t hit against Brentwood. Outside of that first inning, Jackson (Bell) did a great job.

“But that first inning they get five runs. They hadn’t score much more than five runs against us all year.”

In three regular season games and Tuesday’s 1-0 win over the Eagles in the state opener, Brentwood scored six total runs against McCallie. The Blue Tornado scored eight runs and won three of the four contests.

Making the Eagles’ first inning outburst even harder to swallow, Alex Tucker’s fielding error opened the floodgates for the five-run inning.

Bell retired Easton Cline on a ground ball to start the game.

Bryce Jarvis walked.

Conner Woodlee reached safely on the infield miscue.

A Sam Gonas grounder forced Woodlee at second.

Warren Preston singled to left, scoring Jarvis.

James Rosen singled to right, pushing Gonas across with the second run.

Garrett Smith belted a triple to left-center and pushed the Eagles’ lead to 4-0.

Kelton Reynolds, the Eagles pitcher that limited McCallie to five hits while registering six strikeouts and two walks while going the distance, singled to right and cap the five-run inning that decided the game.

“When Corbin hit that triple,” Payne said, “I was thinking that we could get that run and start chipping our way back into the game. We really needed that run. But our guys were pressing the whole game and trying to get five runs with one swing.”

Bell gave up a two-out double in the second inning and then retired seven in a row before Jarvis  and Woodlee laid down perfect bunt singles starting the fifth. Gonas, however, hit into a double play and Bell induced Preston to hit into an inning-ending groundout.

Garrett Smith doubled with one out in the sixth and Bell retired Reynolds and Evan Beddoe on pop-ups.

Bell struck out leadoff batter Easton Cline and pinch-hitter Jack Victory, who suffered Tuesday’s 1-0 loss on the mound, tripled to right-center. Bell fanned Woodlee and snagged a pop by Gonas for the third out.

But while Bell and the Blue Tornado defense were handling their end of the bargain, Reynolds kept frustrating the McCallie hitters and it all started with Brooksbank standing on third.

With one out Ethan Cady walked. Reynolds then struck out Quinn Smith and Tucker.

Reynolds retired the Blue Tornado in order in the second.

Jackson Mathis doubled to lead off the third. He was forced at third in a base running mistake when Brooksbank grounded to Jarvis at short. Max Riemer reached on an error. Cady flied out to deep center – Eagles center fielder Garrett Smith made an outstanding over-the-shoulder grab of the deep drive, reminiscent of “The Catch” by Willie Mays’ on Vic Wertz’s long drive in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series between the New York Giants and Cleveland Indians – and Smith popped to second.

Tucker and Griff Jayne each singled in the fourth, but two fielder’s choices and Mathis' pop out to short ended that threat.

Riemer singled with out in the fifth, but Reynolds allowed only one other runner in the final two innings.

“This year seems like the exact same situation as last year,” Brooksbank said. “We won our first game and then lost to Christian Brothers. Then, we lost the next game and the year was over.

But speaking for the team, we’re all thankful for the seniors on our team and we’re going to miss them a lot.”

Brentwood Academy      500 000 0 – 5 9 1

McCallie                           000 000 0 – 0 5 1

Reynolds and Rosen; Bell and Riemer.

(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow on Twitter @larryfleming44)

Brentwood Academy pitcher Kelton Reynolds threw a five-hit shutout Wednesday to oust McCallie from the Division II-AA state baseball tournament. The Eagles won 5-0, scoring all their runs in the first inning and avenged a 1-0 loss to the Blue Tornado a day earlier.
Brentwood Academy pitcher Kelton Reynolds threw a five-hit shutout Wednesday to oust McCallie from the Division II-AA state baseball tournament. The Eagles won 5-0, scoring all their runs in the first inning and avenged a 1-0 loss to the Blue Tornado a day earlier.
photo by Dennis Norwood
Latest Headlines
Sports
Chattanooga Women Third At Spring Break Shootout
  • 3/18/2024

The Chattanooga Mocs got off to a solid start at the Spring Break Shootout. The ladies are 4 under on Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club’s South Course carding 280 over the opening 18 and 284 ... more

Sweetwater's Keke Norfolk Signs With Cleveland State
Sweetwater's Keke Norfolk Signs With Cleveland State
  • 3/18/2024

Keke Norfolk of Sweetwater High School signed a National Letter of Intent with the Cleveland State women’s basketball team this past week. Norfolk a 5’9” guard/forward, becomes the first signee ... more

Vol Baseball Win Streak Ends At 17 At Alabama
  • 3/18/2024

No. 5/5 Tennessee's 17-game winning streak came to an end with a 6-3 loss to No. 12/14 Alabama on Saturday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide (16-3, 1-1 SEC) ... more