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WALKER VALLEY'S Cooper Henry beats the throw to the plate after a wild pitch during Thursday's Joe Adams Memorial action against McCallie, at Mike Turner Field.
MUSTANG THIRD BASEMAN Sathel Cole, left, puts the tag on McCallie's Chandler Jones, a Tennessee signee, who was trying to steal during Thursday's Joe Adams Memorial play, at Mike Turner Field.
While both starting pitchers turned in quality starts neither was involved in the decision as McCallie scored in its final at bat to nip Walker Valley by a run in the opening game of the Joe Adams Memorial-Alzheimer Awareness Classic, Thursday at Mike Turner Field.
Champ Bailey threw five innings of scoreless ball for the Blue Tornado and Titus Torbett four for the Mustangs, but when they gave way to relievers the runs began with the visitors coming away with a 3-2 victory.
Playing five games in four days, McCallie (8-3) went to Bradley Central after the victory and blasted the host Bears 18-7. The tornado was scheduled to play twice more after presstime Friday, weather permitting.
Walker Valley (1-6) was also slated to take on Soddy-Daisy Friday before finishing the Classic Saturday morning against Combine Academy (N.C.) at 9 before battling Coffee County at 2:30.
The Mustangs will play a home-and-home series with Ooltewah, Monday in Hamilton County and Tuesday at home. Walker Valley will travel to Boyd Buchanan on Thursday.
TORNADO 3
MUSTANGS 2
While both teams had runners on base in all but one of the first eight at bats, neither could push a run across as Bailey and Torbett both worked out of jams.
Having thrown 82 pitches in four frames, striking out four and walking a pair, Torbett gave way Michael Pledge, who walked the first two batters he faced and after a couple of wild pitches and a sacrifice fly the visitors were up 2-0.
Bailey finished up his fifth inning with five Ks and a trio of free passes before Pledge retook the mound for a scoreless top of the sixth.
Nathan Eastman took the bump for McCallie in the bottom of the frame and after getting the first man out, gave up pinch hit double by Felipe Castellanos, who then stole third and scored on a throwing error by the Tornado catcher.
Jordan Smith followed by drawing a base on balls before his courtesy runner Cooper Henry was balked to second and third before coming home on a wild pitch to even the score.
After Pledge walked the first batter of the seventh frame and the second reached on a sac bunt Walker Valley head coach Wes Anderson went to the pen again, this time bringing in Henry.
The Mustang defense came through with back-to-back big plays when catcher Jordan Smith threw out a would-be base stealer and wild pitch moved the remaining Tornado runner to third, second baseman Carson Minnix fielded a hard hit grounder and cut him down at the plate.
However, with the fielder's choice, McCallie still had a base runner, setting the stage for the game-winning RBI-single by Nick Gibson to saddle Henry with the loss.
After a pair of quick outs in the bottom of the seventh, Carson-Newman signee Braxton Smith gave the home fans hope with his second double of the night, but he was stranded when the next batter flew out to right field.
Pledge and Minnix both added single to the Herd hit total, but the Mustangs left a half dozen "ducks on the pond," while McCallie stranded nine.
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