Braden Wolfard’s first inning was rougher than the one run and no hit stat line showed. Hixson’s Manny Velazquez played the purest form of small ball after getting plunked by one of Wolfard’s pitches, stealing second and then advancing to third on a balk. All Kane Johnson had to do was ground out to second for the Wildcat shortstop to score Hixson’s first run. Then came a wild pitch and two walks to load up the bases, all with two outs.
With the Wildcat crowd shaking the bleachers with their cheers, the tall hurler could have collapsed and given Hixson the kind of explosive inning they needed.
Instead, he settled down, and coaxed Cooper Bailey into a groundout to end the inning. Wolfard then cruised through six innings of two-hit ball as Signal Mountain avenged last week’s sweep by downing Hixson 7-3 on the road.
“After an inning like that, we preach that we need to get ground balls,” Wolfard said. “So I’m pounding the zone and trying to get ground balls.”
The Eagles struck first in the top of the initial inning, with Hunter Davis belting a two-out single into leftfield to drive in Ben Timblin. After Hixson tied things up in the bottom of the set, Signal again loaded the bases in the top of the second. With two outs, Timblin drove in two by slicing a grounder into leftfield. Wolfard helped his own cause in the next at-bat and powered a shot into center field, scoring leadoff man Braden Casner and putting the Eagles up 4-1.
“Whenever we play Hixson, we know it’s going to be a battle, so we expect a fight,” Signal Mountain coach Josh Gandy said. “In four years, I think the home team has only won one game. So it goes both ways.”
Hixson catcher Corey Satterfield did his best impression of his teammate Velazquez after getting hit by a pitch in the bottom of the second. He stole second, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Velazquez made the most of one of Hixson’s two hits off Wolfard, and his bullet into left field got Hixson their second run of the game.
But the Wildcats could not stop the Eagles scoring spree in the top of the third. After starting pitcher Kane Johnson got replaced by Cameron Butler, Signal’s Conner Smith sprinted to home plate on a wild pitch. He dove head first into the dust, and slid around the attempted tag to put the Eagles up 5-2. And like the other scores, this one occurred with two outs.
“They battled, and we work on our two-out approach a lot,” coach Gandy said. “Our approach with two outs is hard line drives on the ground, which usually translates on the field.”
By this point in the game Wolfard was shredding Hixson’s bats like a lawnmower, and he punctuated a one-two-three third inning by striking out a swinging Bradley Dossett. After walking all of those batters to start the game, Wolfard settled down and dotted the strike zone with a variety of fastballs and breaking pitches. He kept the Wildcat batters guessing and stuck out nine while throwing 114 pitches in total. His team’s fielding was also fantastic, and committed zero errors while Hixson had five.
“It feels fantastic,” Wolfard said about beating Hixson. “We really struggled at home, and just to come here and get the win feels amazing.”
Right fielder Sam Witherspoon scored an insurance run for his Eagles in the top of the fifth after Preston Worley launched a sacrifice fly deep into center field. Signal’s coach had plenty of praise for a player who often goes under the radar.
“Sean has been a starter for four years and he battles, and does whatever is asked of him,” coach Gandy said. “He’s played third, he’s closed and started, played outfield, and in Loudon he hit the go-ahead home run. He’s a warrior out on the field. He’s the consummate Signal Mountain player.”
Both teams notched one run in the seventh inning, and after Hixson’s Jacob Tobias flew out to left, Signal’s dugout erupted in cheers and celebration. Even though Signal Mountain won the game, coach Gandy said there is still a chance the two rival teams could meet before the season is over.
“We’ve got to take care of business on Friday,” coach Gandy said. “I don’t know who we have yet, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hixson again in Murfreesboro.”
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN 232 020 2 -- 7 6 0
HIXSON 110 000 1 -- 3 2 5
Wolfard, Worley (7) and Farr; Kane, and Satterfield. Butler (3) an
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