Starnes Keeps Dobyns-Bennett Alive in State Baseball Tournament
by STEVE WILMOTH
TriCitiesSports.com
May 24, 2017
MURFREESBORO – Dobyns-Bennett rode the broad shoulders of senior Daniel Starnes to stay alive in the 2017 TSSAA Class AAA State Baseball Tournament Wednesday afternoon.
Starnes stroked a three-run first-inning homer to stake himself to a 3-1 advantage and limited Munford to just five hits in complete game 4-1 victory over the Cougars at Siegel High School.
The Indians (29-12) will be back in action this evening, facing Blackman (29-11) at 6:00 p.m. The Blaze fell in the second game Wednesday, 6-2 to Brentwood, on pinch-hitter Mason Keidel’s walk-off grand slam. Munford ends the season at 21-18.
The Cougars scored their only run of the game in the first, an unearned tally as Corey Simmons scored on a two-out error.
Starnes allowed singles to the first two Blackman hitters in the game, Simmons and Garrett Baugh, and then surrendered two-out singles in the third to Baugh and Steven Kendrick. The Cougars didn’t collect another hit until two were out in the seventh.
Starnes struck out five, all on curveballs.
“I felt like everything was working, but I threw mainly fastballs and curveballs,” said Starnes. “Coach said they struggled against the curve so we relied heavily on that.”
Munford did force Starnes to throw 112 pitches.
“Give them credit, they battled,” added Starnes, “but I was able to make some pitches when I needed to.”
Starnes quickly erased the one-run deficit in the bottom of the first with one swing. Parker Hill walked with one out and Evan Mahaffey legged out a bunt single. Starnes then lifted an 0-1 Simmons fastball the other way for a three-run homer.
“He threw me a change-up and I just stayed on it and hit it pretty good,” Starnes said.
The Tribe had a pair of prime opportunities to pile on more runs in the third and fourth. Quentin Polinski walked and Parker Hill singled to open the third. Both were sacrificed up a base by Evan Mahaffey. Starnes was intentionally passed before Simmons got a strikeout and pop up to end the threat.
In the fourth, Kellen Glasscock ripped a single up the middle and moved to second on Logan Hullette’s sacrifice bunt. Kimbril doubled to center, but with one out, Glasscock was able to only move to third and watch as Simmons again wiggled free with an infield ground out and a strikeout.
The Tribe finally added another run in the fifth. Starnes ripped a one-out double to center and courtesy runner John Deason raced home on Isaac Whitehead’s two-out Texas Leaguer to right field. The frame ended when Whitehead was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Glasscock’s double.
Starnes was one-strike away from retiring the side in order in the seventh, before Riley Bampfield bumped a single to left. Kyle Kelley drew a walk, but Starnes got Perry looking for the last out.
Baugh finished 2-for-2 with a walk for Munford. Starnes went 2-for-2 with the homer, double and free pass. Glasscock also singled and doubled in three trips.
“It’s good to finally get a win in Murfreesboro. It seems like it has been eluding us forever,” said Glasscock, noting the Tribe had been 0-4 this season at Siegel prior to Wednesday’s victory.
“We could feel a different energy this morning. Even though morning games are hard to get up for, we did and we are playing on. Feels good.”
Munford | 100 | 000 | 0 | -- | 1 | 5 | 1 |
Dobyns-Bennett | 300 | 010 | x | -- | 4 | 8 | 1 |
Munford – Corey Simmons and Kyle Kelley. Dobyns-Bennett – Daniel Starnes and Logan Hullette. W – Daniel Starnes 4-2, L – Corey Simmons 7-3. 2B – Dobyns-Bennett 2 (Daniel Starnes, Kellen Glasscock). HR – Daniel Starnes, Dobyns-Bennett 7 (two on in 1st). RBI – Dobyns-Bennett 4 (Daniel Starnes 3, Isaac Whitehead). SAC – Dobyns-Bennett 2 (Evan Mahaffey, Logan Hullette). SB – Munford 2 (Garrett Baugh, Steven Kendrick). DP – Dobyns-Bennett 2. LOB – Munford 5, Dobyns-Bennett 6.
2017 TSSAA Class AAA State Baseball Tournament
Tuesday, May 23
at Siegel High School
Game 1 – Brentwood 4, Munford 0
Game 2 – Blackman 11, Dobyns-Bennett 3
at Oakland High School
Game 3 – Jefferson County 2, Beech 1
Game 4 – Stewarts Creek 10, Houston 0
Wednesday, May 24
at Siegel High School
Game 5 – Dobyns-Bennett 4, Munford 1 - Munford eliminated
Game 7 – Brentwood 6, Blackman 2
Game 9 – Dobyns-Bennett (29-12) vs Blackman (29-11), 6:00 p.m.
at Oakland High School
Game 6 – Houston 7, Beech 6 - Beech eliminated
Game 8 – Jefferson County 3, Stewarts Creek 0
Game 10 – Houston (26-17) vs Stewarts Creek (31-9), 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 25
at Siegel High School
Game 11 – Brentwood (28-10) vs Game 9 winner, 3:00 p.m.
Game 13 – Game 7 winner vs Game 9 winner, if necessary, 5:30 p.m.
at Oakland High School
Game 12 – Jefferson County (27-9) vs Game 10 winner, 3:00 p.m.
Game 14 – Game 8 winner vs Game 10 winner, if necessary, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, May 26
at Middle Tennessee State University
Championship, 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 23
at Siegel High School
Game 1 – Brentwood 4, Munford 0
Game 2 – Blackman 11, Dobyns-Bennett 3
at Oakland High School
Game 3 – Jefferson County 2, Beech 1
Game 4 – Stewarts Creek 10, Houston 0
Wednesday, May 24
at Siegel High School
Game 5 – Dobyns-Bennett 4, Munford 1 - Munford eliminated
Game 7 – Brentwood 6, Blackman 2
Game 9 – Dobyns-Bennett (29-12) vs Blackman (29-11), 6:00 p.m.
at Oakland High School
Game 6 – Houston 7, Beech 6 - Beech eliminated
Game 8 – Jefferson County 3, Stewarts Creek 0
Game 10 – Houston (26-17) vs Stewarts Creek (31-9), 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 25
at Siegel High School
Game 11 – Brentwood (28-10) vs Game 9 winner, 3:00 p.m.
Game 13 – Game 7 winner vs Game 9 winner, if necessary, 5:30 p.m.
at Oakland High School
Game 12 – Jefferson County (27-9) vs Game 10 winner, 3:00 p.m.
Game 14 – Game 8 winner vs Game 10 winner, if necessary, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, May 26
at Middle Tennessee State University
Championship, 6:00 p.m.