It really doesn’t matter what the overall records are or what other circumstances might be involved, you can always expect the unexpected when Baylor and McCallie square off in athletic competition.
Such was the case at Baylor’s Wyatt McMahan Field/Eddie & Gene Etter Baseball Complex Monday night when these two teams faced each other in the first of a three-game baseball series.
The host Red Raiders won this one by an 8-7 final on an evening when they honored six seniors, but this is one of those games where you better stay until the final out or you might miss something.
“Just another typical Baylor-McCallie game,” said Baylor coach Greg Elie after his team had improved to 16-5 overall and 10-0 in region play.
“I liked how we scored those six runs early, but we sort of put it in cruise control after that. We were able to manufacture a couple of runs late and that’s how we won this game. Hats off to McCallie for a great comeback, but I’m so proud of Matt Dill, who pitched a great game tonight. With the exception of the first and seventh innings, he pitched a great game.
“I wasn’t sure about sending him back out for the seventh, but he’s earned the right to finish games like that. I’m just tbankful that we won,” he added.
McCallie coach Tim Costo really liked what he saw from his kids and was totally proud of the way they battled back after dropping behind 6-2 in the first two innings.
“We competed and I’m so proud of them for that,” he began after his post-game chat with his team in shallow right field.
“Take that first inning away and it might have been a different outcome, but I really liked how my relief pitchers threw. I thought Mason Carver did an outstanding job. Matt Dill is a great pitcher, but I liked how we approached him at the plate.
“We didn’t win the game, but I liked how we competed. It’s all good. Just another typical baseball game,” he added.
Dill retired the first two hitters to start the game before Chandler Jones and Andrew Polen had back-to-back singles. Dill got Mateo Mollinedo on a grounder to the mound to escape further damage.
McCallie starter John Cardwell wasn’t so fortunate.
He had a tough time finding the strike zone and promptly walked the first four Baylor hitters and they all scored. Jack Schuman walked to lead off and stole second and third before scoring when the throw to third sailed into left field. Sam Godbout’s grounder to second plated the second run while Zach Morrison had the big hit with a two-run double with two outs to wrap up the scoring.
Dill then struck out the side in the McCallie second before Baylor’s offense went back to work. Chris Renegar had a leadoff walk before Schuman singled and both scored on back-to-back singles by Mac Morris and Blake Lundy.
McCallie scored twice in the third, the first on Jones second hit of the game that drove in Jake Copeland, while a sacrifice fly to center by Polen drove in the second.
Lundy hit a towering solo homer to deep center in the fourth as Baylor extended the lead to 7-2 and the scrappy sophomore catcher added another run batted in in the bottom of the sixth for an 8-2 Red Raider lead.
Dill allowed a leadoff single to Hamilton Downs in the top of seven before pinch hitter Tyler Shortbridge walked. Copeland then walked on four pitches to load the bases, signaling the end for the Baylor righty.
Stonecipher then drove in the first run with a fielder’s choice before Jones made it 8-5 with a screaming double into the gap in right center. Polen then popped to short for the second out and it looked like relief pitcher Renegar might escape further trouble, but that wasn’t the case as Mollinedo drove the first pitch past the light pole in left for a two-run homer to make it 8-7.
That was the end of the excitement as Kelby Barnett grounded to short to end the game.
Baylor only had five hits for the game, but Lundy had two that accounted for three runs, including his 11th home run.
The Blue Tornado finished the game with nine hits, including three by Jones.
Dill was the winning pitcher for Baylor after allowing five runs on seven hits in six-plus innings. He also had seven strikeouts and three walks. Cardwell was tagged with the loss after his miserable start.
These same two teams play again on Tuesday and Wednesday with Tuesday’s game at McCallie and the third one at AT&T Field, which is the home of the Chattanooga Lookouts.
BAYLOR’S SIX SENIORS honored before the game included Jax Bishop, Camden Cloud, Brent Coppage, Brody Womack, Dill and Renegar.
McCALLIE 002 000 5 – 7 9 3
BAYLOR 420 101 x – 8 5 0
Cardwell, Carver (1), Eastman (5) and Hartline; Dill, Renegar (7) and Lundy.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)