It was "déjà vu all over again" in a near repeat of their first meeting this season with a final at bat run to lift McMinn County over Walker Valley in the District 5-4A semifinal series opener, Thursday at Mike Turner Field.
While the 1-0 tally in early April took en extra inning to decide, this time around the only the regulation seven frames were needed as the Cherokees now hold a 1-0 edge in the best-of-3 format, with a home game in Athens after presstime Friday evening, weather permitting.
If rain washes out Friday evening or a third game is necessary to decide the series, it will be held Saturday, tentatively at 6 p.m. If Friday game has to be moved the Saturday game will be in Athens, elsewise it will be back at Turner Field.
After the previous pitcher's duel, the Mustangs came galloping back to sweep the final two games by a 14-4 tally.
Thursday college-bound lefties Ty Barnett and Braxton Smith once again went hit-to-head to put the Cherokees on the verge of a spot in the district championship game, as well as a spot in the Region 3 Tournament, while the Herd is facing being sent to their stalls for the summer.
In a near repeat of his previous two-hit shutout performance against the Valley, Barnett struck out seven and walked two. The University of Cincinnati signee faced just three batters over the minimum, with 57 of his 89 pitches finding the strike zone.
While Smith scattered a half dozen Tribe hits, the Mustang defense committed a pair of errors. The Carson-Newman bound hurler walked just one, plus "plunked" one with 64 strikes in 100 pitches.
"Tough one to swallow tonight," declared Herd wrangler Wes Anderson. "Braxton (Smith) had a great night, truly one missed spot and that’s the decider. But he was on tonight, as good as I’ve seen him. I’m immensely proud of that young man.
"We just couldn’t get the timely hit. We knew Ty (Barnett) was going to have his stuff working and going into it we knew we just needed to take advantage when the opportunities presented themselves - we just couldn’t tonight," he assessed.
"We will be right back at it again tomorrow. Our men are fighters, they’re not gonna back down from the challenge."
McMinn County (18-11) got runners on in the first three innings, but none made it past first base.
After getting a two-out walk to Carson Minnix in the its opening at bat, Walker Valley (14-17) didn't get another until back-to-back, one-out infield singles by Minnix and Conner Phillips in the fourth, but Barnett followed with a strikeout and catcher Hunter McDonald threw out a would be base stealer.
The only other Mustang base runner came on another two-out walk to Felipe Castellanos in the sixth.
The Cherokees thought they had a run in the top of the fifth when a walk to Hunter McDonald and a throwing error on a bunt by Landon Roberts at first.
The umpires originally award each base runner two extra bases, but after some discussion put the runners back on second and third since the errant throw went into a dead zone on a throw by an infielder. Two bases are awarded only when an outfielder makes an errant throw into a dead zone.
Smith got out of the jam with an infield pop up and a fly out to right field.
McMinn threatened again in the sixth with a one-out single by Alabama commit Brooks Berry and Mason Roderick was hit by a pitch.
Once again escaped unscathed with a ground out and another fly out.
The third time proved to be the charm for the Tribe as Jayce Falls fired a hot shot just past the Mustang third baseman for a hit before No. 9 hitter Chase McDonald laced a solid single to right field.
After a catch while sliding on his knees by WV right fielder Bryson Kent notched the second out, Reece Frazier delivered the game-winner with a shot up the center.
Barnett notched his fourth 1-2-3 inning to close out the victory.
Game Summary
District 5-4
Tournament
Semifinal
best-of-3 series
Thursday, May 2
at Mike Turner Field
McMinn County   000  000  1 — 1 6 0
Walker Valley    000  000  0 — 0 2 2
WP: Ty Barnett 7 IP, 7 Ks, 2 BB, 2 hits, 0 ER. LP: Braxton Smith 7 IP, 6 Ks, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 6 hits, 1 ER. RBI: Reece Frazier (MC). Records: McMinn County 18-11; Walker Valley 14-17.
