Baseball
Monday, March 25, 2002
Hardin County takes second straight Courier Diamond Classic
Despite dropping its opening game in the 12th annual Courier Diamond Classic, the host Hardin County Tigers fought back with four straight victories to capture their second straight championship trophy.
Coach Donald Williams' team also won consecutive Diamond Classic titles from
1992-94.
This time around, the Tigers overcame a 6-2 defeat to Hunters Lane, to bounce back with a 6-1 victory over Harpeth and then made the championship playoffs as
the wild-card team when senior Brandon Jackson fired a no-hitter against Spring Hill Saturday morning.
The 5-0 victory saw Jackson strike out 12 and walk just two as he faced just three batters over the minimum. Darren Casteel paced the Tiger offense with a
pair of hits, plus he drew a walk and scored twice. Sophomore Reid Barker blasted a long home run over the left-field fence as Hardin County broke open a
one run game, scoring four times its final at bat.
In the opening round of the tournament playoffs, the Tigers had to face Bradley Central, which was ranked 10th in a statewide preseason poll.
The Tigers jumped out to a quick lead with four runs in the bottom of the first inning and then held on as the Bears, which were after their fourth Diamond
Classic crown, rallied to cut the lead to 5-4 in the final frame before Jackson came on to get the final two outs to earn his second save of the tournament.
Barker earned the pitching victory in his first opportunity on the varsity hill, striking out six.
In the championship game Saturday evening, Hardin County took on Boyd-Buchanan, the No. 3 team in class A in the preseason poll.
The Bucs came into the final with a 7-2 record, having knocked off a powerful Lexington squad, ranked second in class AA, plus class AAA Hunters Lane, the
top-seeded pool winner in the event, earlier in the day.
Boyd-Buchanan upset Lexington 9-7 Saturday morning and then shutout Hunters Lane in its championship semifinal game in Adamsville.
In the title game, the private school boys from Chattanooga jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in their first at bat. However, Hardin County, which is now 6-2
on the season, answered with three runs in the bottom of the opening frame, when senior Daniel Mooney smoked a bases-loaded double into the right-center field
gap.
The Tigers tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Jackson and A.J. Fowler both doubled and Mooney and Tyler Franklin each had
RBI-hits. Like in Hardin County's game with Bradley, the Bucs were able to put together a final-frame rally when Chris Charles opened the at bat with a single and two batters later Tyson Elliott "left the park" with a two-run shot.
Coach Williams then brought Franklin to the mound to put out the fire and the senior responded by striking out the next two Bucs to give the Tigers the title.
Jackson, Franklin, Fowler and Mooney all collected two hits in the final, while Mooney dove in four of the Tiger runs.
Sophomore Wes Bouterie earned his first varsity pitching victory by striking out a half dozen Bucs and allowed just four hits.
Franklin won his second straight Diamond Classic MVP trophy, collecting three doubles in his six hits, plus he scored five runs, tossed the no-hitter and
picked up a pair of saves.
"This is one of the most exciting Diamond Classics we've ever had," tournament director Joe Cannon expressed. "After all the rain problems at the first of the week and the bitter cold Thursday night and Friday, Saturday turned off to be a beautiful day and the action on the field couldn't have been any better."
In other action, Lexington's Micah Ketron also fired a no-hitter during the tournament, shutting down Bradley Central in a non-pool game Friday afternoon. The Big Red won their first two games of the tournament, whipping Lawrence County 15-1 and the Bears 7-0 before being shocked by Boyd-Buchanan 9-7.
The Diamond Classic's other host team, Adamsville, went 1-3 in the event, with a 10-1 victory over Loretto as their high point. The Cardinals also dropped an 8-7 decision to Bradley Central, plus fell 15-7 to Boyd-Buchanan and 12-9 to Ripley, which is coached by former Redbird skipper Joe Bridges.
Coach Donald Williams' team also won consecutive Diamond Classic titles from
1992-94.
This time around, the Tigers overcame a 6-2 defeat to Hunters Lane, to bounce back with a 6-1 victory over Harpeth and then made the championship playoffs as
the wild-card team when senior Brandon Jackson fired a no-hitter against Spring Hill Saturday morning.
The 5-0 victory saw Jackson strike out 12 and walk just two as he faced just three batters over the minimum. Darren Casteel paced the Tiger offense with a
pair of hits, plus he drew a walk and scored twice. Sophomore Reid Barker blasted a long home run over the left-field fence as Hardin County broke open a
one run game, scoring four times its final at bat.
In the opening round of the tournament playoffs, the Tigers had to face Bradley Central, which was ranked 10th in a statewide preseason poll.
The Tigers jumped out to a quick lead with four runs in the bottom of the first inning and then held on as the Bears, which were after their fourth Diamond
Classic crown, rallied to cut the lead to 5-4 in the final frame before Jackson came on to get the final two outs to earn his second save of the tournament.
Barker earned the pitching victory in his first opportunity on the varsity hill, striking out six.
In the championship game Saturday evening, Hardin County took on Boyd-Buchanan, the No. 3 team in class A in the preseason poll.
The Bucs came into the final with a 7-2 record, having knocked off a powerful Lexington squad, ranked second in class AA, plus class AAA Hunters Lane, the
top-seeded pool winner in the event, earlier in the day.
Boyd-Buchanan upset Lexington 9-7 Saturday morning and then shutout Hunters Lane in its championship semifinal game in Adamsville.
In the title game, the private school boys from Chattanooga jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in their first at bat. However, Hardin County, which is now 6-2
on the season, answered with three runs in the bottom of the opening frame, when senior Daniel Mooney smoked a bases-loaded double into the right-center field
gap.
The Tigers tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Jackson and A.J. Fowler both doubled and Mooney and Tyler Franklin each had
RBI-hits. Like in Hardin County's game with Bradley, the Bucs were able to put together a final-frame rally when Chris Charles opened the at bat with a single and two batters later Tyson Elliott "left the park" with a two-run shot.
Coach Williams then brought Franklin to the mound to put out the fire and the senior responded by striking out the next two Bucs to give the Tigers the title.
Jackson, Franklin, Fowler and Mooney all collected two hits in the final, while Mooney dove in four of the Tiger runs.
Sophomore Wes Bouterie earned his first varsity pitching victory by striking out a half dozen Bucs and allowed just four hits.
Franklin won his second straight Diamond Classic MVP trophy, collecting three doubles in his six hits, plus he scored five runs, tossed the no-hitter and
picked up a pair of saves.
"This is one of the most exciting Diamond Classics we've ever had," tournament director Joe Cannon expressed. "After all the rain problems at the first of the week and the bitter cold Thursday night and Friday, Saturday turned off to be a beautiful day and the action on the field couldn't have been any better."
In other action, Lexington's Micah Ketron also fired a no-hitter during the tournament, shutting down Bradley Central in a non-pool game Friday afternoon. The Big Red won their first two games of the tournament, whipping Lawrence County 15-1 and the Bears 7-0 before being shocked by Boyd-Buchanan 9-7.
The Diamond Classic's other host team, Adamsville, went 1-3 in the event, with a 10-1 victory over Loretto as their high point. The Cardinals also dropped an 8-7 decision to Bradley Central, plus fell 15-7 to Boyd-Buchanan and 12-9 to Ripley, which is coached by former Redbird skipper Joe Bridges.
