Ooltewah’s strong pitching continued into the second game of a home-and-home series with Walker Valley on Tuesday night.
Isaac Hughes dominated the Mustangs through five innings, allowing just one hit – a leadoff single to center by catcher Dylan Calfee in the third inning – and helped the Owls post a 4-0 victory at Walker Valley.
Hughes gave way to reliever Jax Howard in the sixth inning.
Hughes struck out five and walked one and threw 76 pitches with 51 for strikes. Howard worked the final two innings and didn’t allow a hit. He struck out three and walked one. Two of Howard’s strikeouts came in the seventh inning.
On Monday, Chris Bayne threw a complete-game two-hitter in an 8-0 win with aa strikeouts at Ooltewah.
In the two games, Ooltewah pitching checked the Mustangs on three hits, no runs and registered 19 strikeouts.
Ooltewah grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Tyler Phillips singled to center and Fisher Perry drew a one-out walk. Trevor Dunlevy singled to center but Phillips was thrown out trying to score. A walk loaded the bases and Eli Wells was hit by a pitch and Phillips scored the game’s first run. Payton Keiser’s hit to center pushed Dunlevy across with the second run.
Calfee got the Mustangs’ lone hit in the third. Hughes retired Ethan Haney on a fly ball to right, Harrison Price flied out to left and Jordan Munck popped out to first.
In the Owls’ fifth, Payton Keiser reached on an infield hit, stole second and went to third on an error by Munck. Colby Taylor’s hit to center scored Keiser. Jacob Robinson beat out an infield hit and Tyler Phillips’ bunt loaded the bases. With two out, Dunlevy was hit by a pitch, forcing in the Owls’ fourth run.
Keiser went 2 for 4 and was the only player from either team with multiple hits. He drove in a run and scored once.
Walker Valley starter Dylan Allender threw five innings and gave up seven hits, four runs – three were earned – while striking out five and walking one.
The Owls (4-3, 3-1 district) will host their own invitational Thursday through Saturday. Games will be played at Ooltewah, East Hamilton, Bradley Central and Soddy-Daisy.
Ooltewah 020 020 0 – 4 7 4
Walker Valley 000 000 0 – 0 1 2
Hughes, Howard (6) and Wells; Allender, Klepzig (6) and Calfee.
Soddy-Daisy 6, McMinn County 5: Harrison Travis’ three-run home run sparked a four-run fourth inning and the Trojans went on to post a 6-5 victory over the visiting Cherokees at Tom Higgins Field.
Spencer Gore drew a one-out walk to start Soddy-Daisy’s big inning and Landon Maynor reached on an error. Jacob Jennings’ ground single through the left side scored Gore and Maynor went to third.
Harris then smacked a 1-0 pitch over the left-field fence for a three-run blast that pushed the Trojans’ lead to 6-2.
The Cherokees loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning with a single and two walks. Will Harris reached on right fielder Noah Howard’s error that allowed Gavin Peterson to score McMinn’s third run. A bases-loaded walk forced in the fourth run and the Cherokees pulled to within 6-5 when Andrew Beavers’ fielder’s choice Peterson across.
Soddy-Daisy (6-2, 3-1) used three pitchers to nail down the win. Kaleb Petty was the starter and lasted two innings. Chris Branam, the winning pitcher, threw the next three innings and Zane Guess finished up with two scoreless innings for his third save.
Petty gave up two runs and Branam three and each allowed three hits and recorded no strikeouts. Petty fanned two.
Jennings went 3 for 4 and scored once and drove in two runs. Howard went 2 for 2 and scored a run.
McMinn County 110 030 0 – 5 9 2
Soddy-Daisy 110 040 x – 6 8 0
Petty, Branam (3), Guess (6) and Travis; Ronne, Akens (6) and Harris
East Hamilton 1, Cleveland 0: Noah Pridmore threw a strong six innings, checking the Blue Raiders on three hits. Pridmore struck out four and walked two in notching his first win of the season.
Walker O’Rear gave up one hit in the seventh and picked up his first save.
Asa Blake went the distance for Cleveland, giving up six hits, the one run and struck out seven and walked two.
The Hurricanes (5-2, 4-0) now have sole possession of first place in the District 5-3A. Cleveland dropped to 1-3, 0-2.
East Hamilton got the only run it needed in the fifth inning.
Blaine Savage lead off with a walk and Josh Brown followed with a bunt single. Conner Thornburg’s sacrifice bunt turned into a throwing error when Blake’s throw to Jonathan Powers was off the mark.
After a strikeout, Will Campbell’s sacrifice fly to right scored Savage with the game’s lone run.
Thornburg went 2 for 4 and Bradley Garland had a double in three at-bats. Cleveland’s Landen Beaty went 2 for 3 and was 5 for 6 in the two-game series with four infield singles.
East Hamilton 000 010 0 – 1 6 0
Cleveland 000 000 0 – 0 4 2
Pridmore, O’Rear (7) and Campbell; Blake and Lee
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)