This is still the first week of high school baseball and most local teams are still trying to put all the pieces together for a successful championship run. That’s also a good reason many teams play early-season tournaments.
Such was the case at Central’s Gene Lively Stadium Friday afternoon where the Purple Pounders hosted the Ooltewah Owls in a game that’s part of Hixson’s Wildcat Classic.
The Owls remain unbeaten after only two games, but the Purple Pounders were quite generous as Ooltewah took advantage of four Central errors en route to a 9-3 game that was never close.
Ooltewah coach Brian Hitchcox liked what he saw for the most part as three pitchers combined for a one-hitter and his defense was solid except for the fifth inning where four miscues by the Owls allowed Central’s three runs to score.
“I thought we swung the bats better today than we have been, but they gave us a few runs early and that helped. It’s early and we’re still trying to find our identity as we keep shuffling guys around to see who can do what,” he said as his players gathered equipment and started to clear the dugout.
“We’re learning how to compete, but that’s why we like to play these early-season tournaments to see where all the pieces fit together. It’s all practice until May, but we thrive on pitching and defense. Except for that one inning, our defense was pretty solid,” he added.
The Owls got off to a quick lead with four runs in the first inning. The Pounders made three of their four errors in that frame with the first two allowing the first two runs to score. A two-run single to left by Garrett Newman drove in the last two.
Jackson Malcolm’s RBI-single in the second drove in Jake Sullivan with the fifth run after a leadoff single.
Sullivan was the man of the hour again in the third when his single to left sent home Bryce Matthews and Jake Morrow after they had reached with a leadoff walk and a one-out double.
Newman got hit by a pitch to lead off the fifth before Morrow reached on another Central error. Both trotted home on a double to left by Sullivan, who finished the day with three hits, two runs scored and four runs batted in.
The Owls didn’t score in the final two innings, but those early runs were more than enough support for starting pitcher Austin Spurgeon, a steady senior who didn’t allow a hit in three innings while striking out three and hitting two.
Central finally broke the ice with three runs in the fifth, but the Owls helped out a lot with four errors.
Sebastion Gayton had the only hit and he scored the second run after Tucker Smith scored the first and Caleb Hutsell the third.
The Pounders had runners on first and third when Andrew Merriweather broke for second. Coty Reels then made a break for home, but was caught in a rundown for the third out to end that threat.
Central coach Glen Carter had a long discussion with his team following the game and he knows his kids need to grow up in a hurry to have better success than they did against the Owls.
“We did what we’ve been doing and that’s make too many mistakes to beat a good team,” Carter said while raking the dirt in the batters box.
“We need to totally change our approach to this game as we’re too timid with the bats and we’ve got to eliminate all the errors. It’s tough to beat anyone with just one hit.
“I guess the best news for us today is that a freshman named Andrew Merriweather came in and threw strikes. He did a good job of shutting them down after they got their big lead, but we’re young and inexperienced and we’ll keep working to get better,” Carter promised.
Zach Wolfe came in to relieve Spurgeon and allowed those three unearned runs in the fifth along with the only hit for Central. Daniel Willie pitched a scoreless seventh while striking out two.
Walker Waters was the starter and loser for Central as he allowed seven runs on five hits before being replaced by Merriweather with one out in the third. Waters also had five strikeouts and four walks.
Sullivan was the only Ooltewah player with more than one hit. Malcolm, Newman, Andy Reed and Trevor Wiggs also had one hit apiece.
Ooltewah is now 2-0 for the season while Central is now 2-2.
The tournament is scheduled to continue on Saturday, weather permitting.
OOLTEWAH 412 020 0 – 9 8 4
CENTRAL 000 030 0 – 3 1 4
Spurgeon, Wolfe (4), Willie (7) and Reed; Waters, Merriweather (3) and Hinshaw.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)