Tribe Drops Season-Opening Doubleheader
by STEVE WILMOTH
TriCitiesSpots.com
March 15, 2023
KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Dobyns-Bennett came up on the short end of split doubleheader to open the 2023 season Wednesday evening at J. Fred Johnson Stadium losing to Jefferson County and Lakeway Christian in the Playing For A Cure Classic.
Jefferson County 3, Dobyns-Bennett 0
The Patriots struck for three runs in the top of the first half and pair Jefferson County pitchers made it stand in a combined three-hit shutout of the Tribe.
The fateful inning also saw a hit batsmen and a walk as Jefferson County loaded the bases without a hit before getting a pair of run-scoring singles and bases-loaded hit-by-pitch for its three runs.
Indian pitchers Cade Maynor and J.T. Griswold combined on a three-hitter as well and also worked around four more Dobyns-Bennett errors.
Maynor struck out three, walked two and allowed two hits and two earned runs in suffering the loss. Griswold surrendered only one hit and struck out two and walk two in his four innings.
The Dobyns-Bennett hits including a double by Andrew Reilly and singles from Will Ritz and Tegan Begley.
Jefferson County | 300 | 000 | 0 | -- | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Dobyns-Bennett | 000 | 000 | 0 | -- | 0 | 3 | 5 |
W – I. Lawson, L – Cade Maynor. 2B – Andrew Reilly, Dobyns-Bennett. 3B – O. Grimsley, Jefferson County. RBI – Jefferson County 3 (B. Revord, D. Edmonds, L. Thomas). SB – O. Grimsley, Jefferson County.
Lakeway Christian Academy 17, Dobyns-Bennett 11
The fielding miscues continued in a game two loss to the Lions as Lakeway struck for eight unearned runs in the first two innings.
Tribe starter Aiden Byington was victimized by three of the errors before being knocked out with two outs in the second as the Lions built a 10-2 lead. After four more runs in the fifth, the lead grew to 14-4, but the Indians struck for four in the bottom of the fifth and three in the six to get within three at 14-11. But Lakeway put the game away by plating three more runs in the top of the seventh.
Injured most of last season, Harbin Gladson had an up-and-down three innings of work for the Tribe, allowing three hits, four walks and four runs, but also flashing with six punchouts.
Tanner Kilgore, Turner Stout, Griswold, Myers and Byington all collected a pair of hits and the Dobyns-Bennett outhit the Lions, 12-10.
Byington doubled twice and drove in three runs while Stout also doubled and drove in two. Myers also brought in two runs and scored two more. Will Ritz tripled and scored twice.
Dobyns-Bennett (0-2) travels to Jefferson County to take on Station Camp Thursday at 5:00 p.m.
Lakeway Christian | 280 | 040 | 3 | -- | 17 | 10 | 1 |
Dobyns-Bennett | 220 | 043 | 0 | -- | 11 | 12 | 6 |
W – D. Rodriguez, L – Aiden Byington. 2B – Lakeway Christian 6 (E. Henry 2, E. Lasso 2, L. Castillo 2), Dobyns-Bennett 3 (Aiden Byington 2, Turner Stout). 3B – Will Ritz, Dobyns-Bennett. RBI – Lakeway Christian 14 (E. Lasso 4, E. Henry 3, K. Worsham 2, L. Castillo 2, J. Bates, B. Bible, B. Mauk), Dobyns-Bennett 9 (Aiden Byington 3, Turner Stout 2, Andrew Myers 2, Tanner Kilgore, T. Begley). SF – Lakeway Christian 2 (K. Worsham, B. Mauk), Dobyns-Bennett 1 (T. Begley). SB – Lakeway Christian 2 (B. Bible, K. Worsham).