Boone Rocks South, But Rebels Rebound in Thriller Over M-West
by BRYAN MOORE
TriCitiesSports.com
April 20, 2018
GRAY, Tenn. --The Sullivan South baseball team learned a powerful lesson in perseverance in Friday's second game of the Spivey, King, & Spivey Tribe Classic at Daniel Boone High School.
Never Give Up.
After being shut out 10-0 by the home-standing Trail Blazers in the opener, the Rebels rallied from a six-run deficit and captured a thrilling 10-9 victory over Morristown West on Drew Creech's walk-off home run in extra innings to earn a split in action at Clarence Mabe Field.
"We needed that really bad," said a grinning South coach Anthony Richardson. "Of course we started them out giving up all those runs. I thought, 'Oh no, here we go again.'"
"We kept on scratching away, scratching away. We needed that. That was big."
But the contest couldn't have started any worse for the Rebels. After surrendering four runs in the first inning against Boone, the Trojans plated six runs in the top of the first on the strength of six hits, two walks, an error, and a wild pitch off of Creech, who got the start for South.
Designated hitter Corbin Yount ripped an RBI double while Tanner Beaver, C. J. Livesay, Cooper Eldridge, and Zack Young added run-scoring singles.
"The first inning wasn't too good," admitted Creech. "But I found it in the second inning and battled back and had a good game."
The Rebels got a run back in their half of the first when a dropped third strike brought home leadoff hitter Austin Monds. But South's bats really came alive in the bottom of the third.
Andrew Noah reached on an error. Chase Bowery got a base hit. Cory Williams was hit by a pitch. Creech's long flyout scored Noah. Gavin Parker also was hit by a pitch. Austin Hale's fielder's choice plated Bowery. Williams scored on an error.
Then the number nine hitter in the lineup--Eli Jones--smacked a rocket that went to the wall in deep center field. The speedy freshman raced around the bases and was thrown out trying to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park home run. But his hit drove in two runs and tied the score 6-6.
Morristown West (9-19) got two runs in the top of the fourth on two walks, an error, and a wild pitch and regained the lead at 8-6.
The Rebels closed the advantage to within 8-7 with a run in the bottom of the fourth. But the Trojans pushed across an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Jared Coffey walked, stole second, and scored on a throwing error.
In its last at-bat, South (10-12) loaded the bases on a double by Creech and two walks. Monds was hit by a pitch that scored Creech. A hit by Noah scored Hale and tied the score. The potential winning run, however, was gunned down at third base and the contest went into extra innings.
Bowery came in and pitched a scoreless eighth. In the bottom of the frame, Creech strode to the plate with two outs and the bases empty. That set up the heroics for the junior who pitched, played right field, and first base.
Creech ripped the offering down the left field line that stayed fair and unleashed exuberance among the South faithful.
"It was a fast ball, a little high," recalled Creech, who added a double and two sacrifice flies to go along with three RBIs while scoring two runs. "I knew I had to make something happen with it. I knew it was gone right off the bat."
The game featured a little bit of everything with 14 walks, eight errors, four hit batsmen, and two wild pitches. Beaver and Yount paced the Trojans' attack each with a double and an RBI.
"It was just a good game all the way around," noted West skipper Justin Pickett. "They ended up hitting a high home run there at the end. I still don't know if it was fair. But I just thought both ways there were some plays that could have gone either way."
The Rebels have been struggling lately and Friday's win over the Trojans just might be the catalyst they need to turn around their season.
"We hung in there," said Richardson. "Drew battled and then we brought in (Riley) Hobbs. He did what he had to do. Then Chase finished it up there."
"We can build from it. You know you can never quit. You just keep on chipping away and see what happens."
In the opening contest, the home-standing Trail Blazers pounced on South early and often. Zach Taylor swatted a two-run double and Brody Goodman ripped an RBI single as Boone scored four runs in the first inning.
Cade Elliott and Logan Rivers drove in runs with base hits in a three-run second inning that pushed the Blazers' advantage to 7-0. Boone added a run in the third and then closed it out in the fifth on an RBI double from Elliott and a run-scoring single by Eric Rigsby.
The Blazers (13-9) got a complete game shutout from Robbie Storen. The junior right-hander allowed six hits while striking two and walking none.
"I think spotting my fast ball was my biggest thing," explained Storen. "My defense helped my out the most."
Indeed, Boone turned two lovely double plays. Leadoff hitter Matt Cox scored three runs. Elliott drove in three runs on two hits while Rivers and Taylor each tallied two RBIs to lead the way for the Blazers.
"I thought we came out and pitched and played defense a lot better than we did the previous night, which is big for us" stated Boone coach Rob Hoover. "I was happy with the way we swung the bats. The left-hander they threw did a good job with his curve ball."
"We were able to lay off enough pitches to make sure we got some that we could handle in the zone. We put some good swings on some balls. We got that early lead, which was good for us to kind of relax and play and play with some confidence."
Bowery got a double for the only extra base hit for the Rebels.
Daniel Boone won the nightcap, 4-1, over Morristown West.
Carson-Newman signee Eric Rigsby started and worked five innings, allowing three hits, no runs and striking out three. Rigsby was 2-for-3 at the plate with two doubles, a run scored and a run driven in.
Easton Harrell, Robbie Storen and Hunter Adams also drove in runs for the ‘Blazers. Cade Elliott came on to earn the save.
Daniel Boone 10, Sullivan South 0
Sullivan South | 000 | 00 | -- | 0 | 6 | 4 | |
Daniel Boone | 431 | 02 | -- | 10 | 10 | 0 |
South—Austin Hale and James Seto. Daniel Boone—Robbie Storen and KC Vicchio. W—Storen. L—Hale. 2B—South 1 (Chase Bowery); Daniel Boone 2 (Zach Taylor, Cade Elliott). RBI—South 0; Daniel Boone 9 (Cade Elliott 3, Logan Rivers 2, Zach Taylor 2, Brody Goodman, Eric Rigsby). SB—South 0; Daniel Boone 2 (Matt Cox, Brody Goodman). LOB—South 4; Daniel Boone 6.
Sullivan South 10, Morristown West 9
Morristown West | 600 | 200 | 10 | -- | 9 | 9 | 4 |
Sullivan South | 105 | 100 | 21 | -- | 10 | 8 | 4 |
Morr. West—Blaine Robinson, Jared Coffey (6), and Tanner Beaver. South—Drew Creech, Riley Hobbs (5), Chase Bowery (8), and James Seto. W—Bowery. L—Coffey. 2B—Morr. West 2 (Corbin Yount, Tanner Beaver); South 1 (Drew Creech). 3B—Morr. West 0; South 1 (Eli Jones). HR—Morr. West 0; South—1 (Drew Creech). SB—Morr. West 1 (Jared Coffey); South 0. LOB—Morr. West 12; South 8.
Daniel Boone 4, Morristown West 1
Morristown West | 000 | 001 | 0 | -- | 1 | 7 | 3 |
Daniel Boone | 101 | 200 | x | -- | 4 | 6 | 0 |
Morristown West – Louin and Yount. Daniel Boone – Eric Rigsby, Ben Allen (6), Cade Elliott (7) and Logan Rivers. W – Eric Rigsby, L – Louin, S – Cade Elliott. 2B – Daniel Boone 3 (Eric Rigsby 2, Hunter Adams). RBI – Morristown West – Livesay, Daniel Boone 4 (Hunter Adams, Eric Rigsby, Robbie Storen, Easton Harrell). SAC – Morristown West 1 (Livesay). SB – Morristown West 2 (Coffey, Britt). DP – Daniel Boone. LOB – Morristown West 7, Daniel Boone 6.