The third Battle of the Bridge baseball confrontation lived up to the hype as Lenoir City and Loudon competed in a back-and-forth extra inning District 5-3A matchup at LCHS Friday.
Things looked good for the Panthers as they held a 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh and put Loudon down to their final out. However, a deep home run to center field hit by Loudon senior and University of Tennessee baseball commit Jaxon Walker kept the game going and tied it up 3-3.
kAm%96 !2?E96CD C6DA@?565 H:E9 E96:C E@A @7 E96 =:?6FA 8@:?8 5@H? :? @C56C 2E E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 7C2>6]k^Am
kAmx? E96 E@A @7 E96 6:89E9 :??:?8[ {@F5@?’D >:55=6 @7 E96 =:?6FA H2D DEF?E65 2?5 DF776C65 EH@ 7=J @FED 2?5 2 8C@F?5 @FE E@ 6?5 E96 :??:?8] {6?@:C r:EJ 282:? 42>6 E@ E96 A=2E6 H:E9 2 492?46 E@ H:? E96 82>6]k^Am
kAmq2D6 9:ED 3J D6?:@C qC2?5@? q6== 2?5 D@A9@>@C6 wF?E6C r=:4< 8@E E96 !2?E96CD :? D4@C:?8 A@D:E:@? H:E9 EH@ @FED] }6IE FA E@ 32E H2D 7C6D9>2? r@??@C %FCA:? H9@ 925 2 C6=2E:G6=J BF:6E 52J 2E E96 A=2E6]k^Am
kAm(:E9 ;FDE @?6 DH:?8 @7 E96 32E[ %FCA:? =2F?4965 2 3=@@A6C E@ E96 C:89E 7:6=5 82A D4@C:?8 q6== 2?5 H:??:?8 E96 82>6 H:E9 E96 7:?2= D4@C6 @7 b\a]k^Am
kAm“(6==[ >6 36:?8 2 7C6D9>2? :E 766=D 8C62E[” %FCA:? D2:5[ C676CC:?8 E@ E96 H:?] “(6 42>6 :? 2D E96 F?56C5@8D 96C6 2?5 :E 766=D 8C62E E@ 36 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8 7@C E96 E62>] ~3G:@FD=J H:E9 {@F5@? 36:?8 @FC C:G2=D :E 766=D 6G6? 36EE6C] %9:D s67:?:E6=J 3@@DED >J 4@?7:56?46[ 2?5 x E9:?< :E 3@@DED E96 H9@=6 E62>’D 68@] x’> ;FDE DA6649=6DD]”k^Am
kAm{rw$ r@249 p2C@? $:>>@?D 4@>>6?565 %FCA:? 7@C 9:D @G6C2== 4@>A6E:E:G6?6DD 2?5 H:==:?8?6DD E@ H:?] xE’D 2 4@?46AE E92E 92D DFC865 E9C@F89@FE E96 32== 4=F3 :? E96 7:?2= 76H 82>6D]k^Am
kAmp82:?DE {@F5@?[ E96 !2?E96CD C64@C5 D:I 9:ED 2?5 5:5 ?@E 4@>>:E 2 D:?8=6 6CC@C :? E96:C C68F=2C D62D@? 7:?2=6] q6== 2?5 r=:4< =65 E96 H2J[ 3@E9 8@:?8 a\7@C\c[ H:E9 q6== D4@C:?8 EH:46]k^Am
kAm“{@F5@? :D 2 8@@5 32== 4=F3] (6 2== <?@H E92E @3G:@FD=J H6’C6 42A23=6 @7 A=2J:?8 E96 H2J H6’C6 DFAA@D65 E@ A=2J] *@F D66 E96 EFC?@FE 7@C FD[ E@@[ 2D H6==[” $:>>@?D] “(6’G6 925 2 =@E @7 325 =F4< E9C@F89@FE E96 J62C 2?5 2 =@E @7 5@H?72==D :? 46CE2:? :??:?8D] (6 7:?2==J 42>6 2C@F?5 E96 =2DE 7:G6 @C D:I 82>6D 2?5 7:?2==J 7@F?5 2 H2J E@ 6?5 E96 J62C @? 2 A@D:E:G6 ?@E6 8@:?8 E@ E@FC?2>6?E E:>6]k^Am
kAm“uC@> 96C6 @? @FE[ H6 8@E 2 7:89E[ H6 2C6 8@:?8 :?E@ 2 A=2J\:? 82>6 ?6IE (65?6D52J W282:?DE $6BF@J29X[” $:>>@?D D2:5] “%96D6 <:5D ;FDE 8@E E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ 5@ H92E E96J’C6 5@:?8 2?5 92G6 7F? H9:=6 E96J 2C6 5@:?8 :E] *@F 42?’E 362E E96 4@>A6E:E:G6?6DD E96 =2DE EH@ H66<D @FE @7 E9:D 3F?49] w2ED @77 E@ E96D6 8FJD 8@:?8 7@CH2C5 2?5 4@>6 E@FC?2>6?E E:>6[ J@F ?6G6C <?@H H92E 42? 92AA6? D@ =@?8 2D H6 E2<6 42C6 @7 @FCD6=G6D 2?5 H@CCJ 23@FE @FCD6=G6D] %96 EFC?@FE D9@F=5 36 E96 H2J H6 H2?E :E]”k^Am
kAm%96 H:? @G6C {@F5@? H2D 2 3:8 @?6 7@C {6?@:C r:EJ’D 6:89E D6?:@CD] %96J’C6 @G6C2== =6256CD9:A 2?5 677@CE H2D 2E E96 7@C67C@?E @7 E96 5:DEC:4E H:?]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 7F? 8C@FA] xE’D E96 7:CDE 8C@FA x’G6 24EF2==J D66? E9C@F89@FE E96 7@FC J62CD x’G6 366? 96C6[” $:>>@?D D2:5] “(6 <?@H 6249 @E96C AC6EEJ H6==] xE’D 366? 2 7F? 8C@FA E9C@F89@FE E96 J62CD] xE’D 366? 2 E@F89 J62C] qFE[ 6G6CJ3@5J’D 8@:?8 _\_ 8@:?8 :?E@ E@FC?2>6?E E:>6] p?5 D@ E92E’D H9J E96J’C6 =@@<:?8 2E :E] {6256CD9:A’D 4@>:?8 2C@F?5[ E96J H2?E E@ 6?5 @? 2 A@D:E:G6 ?@E6[ 2?5 E9:D :D ;FDE E96 7:CDE DE6A E@ 86E WC625JX]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m{@F5@? =@@<:?8 E@H2C5 A@DED62D@?k^DEC@?8m%96 #65D<:?D 282:? D9@H65 H9J E96J 2C6 E96 ?F>36C @?6 D665 :? s:DEC:4E d\bp 5FC:?8 :ED =@DD E@ {6?@:C r:EJ] s6DA:E6 36:?8 5@H? E@ E96:C =2DE DEC:<6@FE[ E96J 4@?E:?F65 E@ 7:?5 2 H2J 2?5 32EE=6 E@ E96 G6CJ 6?5]k^Am
kAmtG6? E9C@F89 E96J 76== D9@CE @7 2 A6C764E `a\_ s:DEC:4E C64@C5[ E96:C 7:?2= ``\` C64@C5 :D DE:== 8@@5 E@ 36 E96 R` D665 9625:?8 :?E@ E96 5:DEC:4E E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 AC@F5 @7 H92E H6’G6 5@?6 E9:D J62C[” y2D@? {2>36CE[ {w$ 9625 4@249 D2:5] “%9:D H2D ;FDE C62==J E96 6?5 @7 E96 7:CDE D62D@?] (6’C6 C625J 7@C E96 ?6IE @?6[ H9:49 :D @FC A@DED62D@?] x’> AC@F5 @7 E96 H2J @FC 8FJD 7@F89E E@52J] x E9@F89E[ 3@E9 E96 A:E496CD E92E {6?@:C r:EJ 925 E9C6H C62==J H6==[ 2?5 E96J >256 E:>6=J 9:ED H96? E96J ?66565 E96>] %96C6 H6C6 2 4@FA=6 @7 E:>6D E92E H6 925 8FJD 32D6D =@2565 2?5 H6 72:=65 E@ 6I64FE6 H:E9 2 4=FE49 9:E]”k^Am
kAm{@F5@? 7:?:D965 H:E9 7:G6 9:ED 2D 2 E62> 2?5 4@>>:EE65 EH@ 6CC@CD] x? E96 6?5[ E96 =:EE=6 >:DE2<6D 2?5 D>2== 6CC@CD H6C6 E96 5:776C6?46 >2<6C]k^Am
kAm“%96 82>6 4@F=5 92G6 8@?6 :? 5:776C6?E H2JD 2E 5:776C6?E A@:?ED :? E96 82>6] xE’D ;FDE E96 ?2EFC6 @7 32D632==[” {2>36CE D2:5] “(6’C6 AC@F5 @7 H92E H6 5:5] (6’C6 AC@F5 @7 E96 H2J E92E H6 32EE=65] (6 AFE 32DD CF??6CD @? 2?5 4@>A6E65 @? E96 32D6 A2E9D 7@C D@>6 3:8 A=2JD H96? H6 ?66565 E@] x’> 2=D@ AC@F5 @7 @FC A:E49:?8 A6C7@C>2?46 2D H6==] ~G6C2==[ :E H2D 2 8@@5 32D632== 82>6 2?5 6G6CJ3@5J 8@E E96:C >@?6J’D H@CE9]”k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 3:886DE E2<62H2JD 7C@> E96 =@DD :D 2 42C66C >:=6DE@?6 7@C {@F5@?’D ;F?:@C A:E496C }@=2? q6E96= H9@ C64@C565 9:D a__E9 42C66C DEC:<6@FE 282:?DE {6?@:C r:EJ]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 8C62E >:=6DE@?6 2?5 }@=2? H@C<D @? 9:D 4C27E C:8@C@FD=J[” {2>36CE D2:5] “w6’D 2=H2JD EC2:?:?8 2?5 AC6A2C:?8 E@ 36 2 A:E496C] %92E’D 8C62E 7@C FD @? E96 >@F?5[ 2?5 96’D 8@E 56D:C6D E@ 8@ E@ E96 ?6IE =6G6= 2?5 96’D 8@??2 86E 2 D9@E] %96C6’D D@ >2?J E:>6D E92E H6’== A=2J 32D632== 82>6D[ 2?5 96 <?@HD E92E 96 ?665D E@ 86E 2 3F==A6?[ 2?5 96’== 4@>6 324< E@ E96 32==A2C< 2?5 7=:A E96 =:89ED @? 2?5 E9C@H 27E6C H6’C6 5@?6]k^Am
kAm“w6’D AFEE:?8 :? 9@FCD 7@C @FC E62> 2?5 E96? AFEE:?8 :? 6IEC2 E:>6 7@C 9:>D6=7 D@ E92E 96 42? AC6A2C6 2?5 8C@H E9C@F89@FE E96 4@FCD6 @7 9:D 42C66C 2E {@F5@?[” 96 D2:5] “w6’D 2 3:8 A2CE @7 @FC DF446DD 2?5 96’== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 5@ E92E 2?5 E96J’== 92G6 3:8 E9:?8D 29625 @7 E96> :? E96 7FEFC6 E@@]”k^Am