JOHNSON CITY — Ryan Smith is off the market, and Science Hill is off to play for another region title.
After four tight innings, the Hilltoppers distanced themselves from Jefferson County in the fifth inning Friday night, defeating the Patriots 6-0 to open the Region 1-4A tournament at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
The Hilltoppers (30-4) can earn their third consecutive region title if they win Saturday’s noon game against Sevier County (25-6), which slipped past Daniel Boone 7-3 in Friday’s second game.
Daniel Boone (15-13) plays Jefferson County (15-14) at 3 p.m. in an elimination game. That winner plays the Science Hill-Sevier County loser for elimination and a region runner-up finish at 6 p.m.
As in years past, the region champion and runner-up advance to the 4A sectional.
Smith hadn’t announced his commitment to Walters State yet, but his Friday stat line surely impressed the Senators’ coaching staff. He struck out nine and walked just two in the complete-game effort, allowing just three hits.
“Everything was really working today,” Smith said. “Coach (Ryan) Edwards had an amazing game plan going in. I just did what he said, and it worked out amazing.”
Smith used his slider a lot early before a light rain arrived. But it didn’t seem to bother him, other than having to ask for new baseballs more often.
“I had to adjust, but the rain didn’t do much,” Smith said. “I just had to keep doing what I was doing before.”
HILLTOPPERS WAKE UP
The Hilltoppers stranded four runners over the first two innings, but Nate Conner got into scoring position with his one-out double in the third. Major Osbolt’s line-drive single to center brought him home.
Science Hill got back-to-back hits from Jackson Berry and Conner to start the fifth, Berry stealing home for a 2-0 lead. Smith’s subsequent triple and a base hit from Jake Bedard scored two more.
Landon Smelser then followed an RBI single by Jet Swartz with a two-out double to plate the final run.
“We’re good enough to strike at any time,” Smith said. “We were cold for a little bit at the start. We just had to look for our pitches, but we got it going.”
Berry, who doubled in the first, and Conner both went 2-for-4. Caden Torraca’s single rounded out Science Hill’s 10-hit effort.
Isaac Lawson threw four innings for Jefferson County. Lawson walked two and tossed three scoreless frames before southpaw Brody Carr and Cole Woolard threw in relief.
“We’d seen (Carr) earlier this year and he shut us down for two innings, especially our left-handed hitters,” Edwards said. “We ran his pitch count up to where they had to take him out, so that was a huge advantage.”
BEARS BREAK THROUGH
Ty Koch broke the tie, and the District 2-4A champion Smoky Bears went on to push four runs across in the sixth against Boone.
Sevier County (26-7) had loaded the bases with nobody out before Koch faced a 0-2 count with one down. Koch sent a line drive to right field to bring home two runs. Another scored on a wild pitch, and Koch plated himself on a sacrifice fly.
Tennessee Tech commit Drew Mattox went six innings for the Smoky Bears, striking out 10 and walking seven while allowing three earned runs on four hits.
Andrew Moore pitched the final inning to get the save, though the Trailblazers did load the bases against him.
Despite not allowing a hit until the fourth inning, Boone trailed 2-0 after the opening frame. But the Trailblazers found an explosive response in the top of the third inning, starting when Griffen Jones got on base with a one-out single.
Slader Tinker then hammered a flyball to center field and sprinted all the way home for an inside-the-park home run, tying the game at 2.
Tim McGonigle’s two-out RBI single in the top of the fourth put Boone ahead 3-2. McGonigle finished 2-for-4.
Jacob Greene pulled Sevier County even in the home half on his RBI single, and the 3-3 tie lasted until the sixth.
Koch went 3-for-3 from the 9-hole and Moore doubled twice. Sevier County collected eight hits.
Aiden Roller threw five full innings for Boone, striking out three and tossing three scoreless frames.
