CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Clarksville Academy baseball hosted Christ Presbyterian Academy Saturday at Wes Smith Field with a trip to the Middle Region championship game on the line.
It was a relatively close contest through the first five innings of play until the Lions strung together a six-run top of the sixth inning to run away late with a 10-1 victory.
FINAL@CPALionsBSB 10@_CougarBaseball 1
The Lions are heading to the Middle Region championship game. pic.twitter.com/weeSoa5t9b
— Neil Rye (@NryeCvilleNow) May 8, 2021
After the game, Clarksville Academy baseball coach Dustin Smith discussed where things started to go wrong for his group.
“We picked a bad time to play the worst defensive game we played all year,” Smith said. “We’ve done a great job defensively throughout the whole season. Offensively, we’ve been Jekyll and Hyde, so I was hoping that it wasn’t going to come back to bite us, but tonight you score one run, you’re not supposed to win a baseball game anyways.”
The Cougars lineup struggled throughout, mustering just one run on six hits against Lions starting pitcher Zee Thompson.
Smith believes it was a combination of Thompson’s effectiveness and a less-than-stellar approach at the plate from his club that led to the poor offensive output.
“Both,” Smith answered. “Their pitcher did a great job getting ahead early and working the counts, but offensively, we didn’t make adjustments and we just didn’t do things that we should have.”
Clarksville Academy starting pitcher Collin Rittenberry was hit with the loss. The sophomore right-hander threw six innings, giving up five earned runs on nine hits while striking out six batters.
According to Smith, Rittenberry is a unique talent who can do great things at CA if he continues to put the work in.
“Collin has a chance to be a special pitcher for us,” Smith said. “Today the times he got hurt was when he missed his spots which was frustrating, but a lot of that was compiled after a couple defensive mistakes. For a sophomore, there’s some growing pains where you have to let that mistake go and then look to the next pitch. I think Collin is going to learn from this and be ready to go next time.”
Game summary
After a one-out double from JJ Williams, Easton Dillard put CPA out in front 1-0 on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second inning.
Top of the 2nd
After a one-out double by Jj Williams, @CPALionsBSB sophomore Easton Dillard makes it 1-0 on a sacrifice fly. pic.twitter.com/b185r05D2Q— Neil Rye (@NryeCvilleNow) May 8, 2021
Cade Law made it 2-0 Lions in the following inning, blasting a solo home run over the right-field fence.
Top of the 3rd
With two down in the inning, @CadeLaw11 blasts a solo home run over the right field fence to give @CPALionsBSB a 2-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/j0KGpODZoa— Neil Rye (@NryeCvilleNow) May 8, 2021
Later in the frame, CPA took advantage of an error on the CA first baseman, as Drew Aiken came home to score to extend the lead to 3-0.
Middle of the 3rd
Drew Aiken comes home to score on this E3, as @CPALionsBSB tacks on one more run to make it 3-0. pic.twitter.com/rI50g43jZB— Neil Rye (@NryeCvilleNow) May 8, 2021
Both sides were quiet with the bats for the next couple of innings before Langston Patterson got things started with a lead-off triple in the top of the sixth inning.
After a hit batsman put runners on the corners with no outs, Williams struck again with an RBI single up the middle.
Top of the 6th
After a Langston Patterson triple and hit batsman to start the inning, Jj Williams pads the @CPALionsBSB lead to 4-0. pic.twitter.com/Dau6GQbUZ7— Neil Rye (@NryeCvilleNow) May 8, 2021
The Lions got their fifth run of the game on a fielder’s choice.
Top of the 6th
Ty Teasley makes a nice play, but @CPALionsBSB gets their fifth run of the game on this fielder’s choice. pic.twitter.com/1jDnlEyGfi— Neil Rye (@NryeCvilleNow) May 8, 2021
With two down in the inning, Shelby Whiteside padded the CPA lead to 7-0, driving in two runs on an opposite-field base hit.
Top of the 6th
With two outs in the inning, Shelby Whiteside makes it 7-0 @CPALionsBSB on the opposite-field stroke. pic.twitter.com/MOBBL5XwsT— Neil Rye (@NryeCvilleNow) May 8, 2021
Law and Aiken then recorded back-to-back RBI singles for the final runs of the frame.
Top of the 6th
After Cade Law plates Whiteside on a bloop hit, Drew Aiken extends @CPALionsBSB’s advantage to 9-0. pic.twitter.com/TbDNtnDzSv— Neil Rye (@NryeCvilleNow) May 8, 2021
Clarksville Academy got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Paris Pridgen came home to score on a Sam Walker RBI single.
Bottom of the 6th@_CougarBaseball gets on the board after Paris Pridgen’s second hit of night and this RBI single from @SamWalk78213925. pic.twitter.com/9xRAgQfBpf
— Neil Rye (@NryeCvilleNow) May 8, 2021
Jack Jennings drove in the Lions last run of the game in the top of the seventh inning with a pinch-hit single over the head of the Cougar second baseman.
Top of the 7th
Jack Jennings with the pinch-hit RBI single to make it 10-1 @CPALionsBSB. pic.twitter.com/ag8tBdy507— Neil Rye (@NryeCvilleNow) May 8, 2021
Key performers
Thompson pitched a complete game, allowing one run on six hits while striking out four Cougars to earn the win.
Law, Aiken and Caleb Skelton all had two hits each for the Lions.
Pridgen and Rudy Sleigh both went 2-for-3 to lead the Cougars at the plate.
Up next
Clarksville Academy (21-9) plays the winner of Goodpasture and MTCS Monday, May 10 on the road for a chance to advance to the State Final 12.
“It’s exciting,” Smith said. “We still have a shot. That’s what we look for. It’s going to be tough because now we put ourselves in a bad situation where as before, if we won today we were in. But having a chance to play baseball this time of year is still good especially with seven sophomores.”