‘Toppers Win Twice to Close Playing For a Cure Classic
by STEVE WILMOTH
TriCitiesSports.com
March 18, 2023
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – Science Hill used four combined pitchers to toss a two-hitter and five-hitter in wins over Silverdale Academy and Cookeville on Saturday on the final day of the Playing For A Cure Classic.
Science Hill 9, Silverdale Academy 1
Ryan Smith, Cole ReSue, Sunny Majethia and Nate Stoots combined to allow only two hits and fan ten in the win over the Seahawks.
Smith started and struck out five in three innings before ReSue came to work two hitless innings striking out four with Majethia and Stoots tossing the sixth and seventh.
Silverdale avoided the shutout with a seventh inning solo homer.
The top third of the Science Hill order drove in seven of the ‘Toppers nine runs. Leadoff hitter Landon Smelser doubled and drove in three runs with two-hole hitter Jackson Berry going 2-fo-4 with a double, two runs scored and more batted in. Hitting third, Jake Bedard also doubled and drove in two.
Silverdale Academy | 000 | 000 | 1 | -- | 1 | 2 | 6 |
Science Hill | 053 | 001 | x | -- | 9 | 16 | 1 |
W – Ryan Smith. 2B – Science Hill 3 (Jake Bedard, Jackson Berry, Landon Smelser). HR – Silverdale Academy 1. RBI – Silverdale Academy 1, Science Hill 9 (Landon Smelser 3, Jake Bedard 2, Jackson Berry 2, Major Osbolt, Ryan Smith). SF – Major Osbolt, Science Hill. SAC – Silverdale Academy 2, Science Hill 1 (Jackson Berry). LOB – Silverdale Academy 5, Science Hill 7.
Science Hill 4, Cookeville 1
In game two, the four ‘Toppers hurlers were Michael Francis, Hagen Gibson, Noah Nazeil and Caden Wells.
Francis earned the start and left after two innings after allowing three hits and one run. Gibson picked the win with two innings of work, striking out two and walking two. Wells was last on and was credited with a save.
At the plate, Nate Conner led off the second with a solo homer, his second home run of the season. Jackson Berry’s two-run shot in the third put the Hilltoppers ahead to stay.
Science Hill (5-0) will face Dobyns-Bennett in a Big 5 Conference series on Monday and Tuesday.
Cookeville | 100 | 000 | 0 | -- | 1 | 5 | 1 |
Science Hill | 012 | 001 | x | -- | 4 | 5 | 2 |
W – Hagen Gibson. SV – Caden Wells. 2B – Cookeville 1, Science Hill 1 (Jake Bedard). HR – Nate Conner, Science Hill (solo in 2nd); Jackson Berry, Science Hill (one on in 3rd). RBI – Cookeville 1, Science Hill 4 (Jackson Berry 2, Nate Conner, Nate Stoots). SAC – Cookeville 1. SB – Science Hill 1 (Nate Conner). LOB – Cookeville 9, Science Hill 3.