4B | PREPS
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GRACE CHRISTIAN’S TY HUTCHINSON (1) dives safely back to second that we had good, competi-
as Greenback’s Bryce Hanley (3) takes the throw on a pickoff tive at-bats,” Wes Caldwell
attempt Friday at Greenback.
RALLY: Coach impressed
with Hughes’ performance
FROM 1B
offense exploded with help
from key errors from the
Eagles, allowing them to
tie and threaten to take the
lead.
But the second homer by
Gibbs, this one coming from
the bat of left fielder Zach
White, forced the Moun-
taineers back into a need
for runs.
“We started swinging it
well (in the bottom of the
sixth inning). We had some
key hits,” Bennett said.
“They made a few mistakes
that left it going on. We tied
it up and we had opportuni-
ties. We hit some balls hard
that could have got us the
lead right there. But I’m
proud of my guys that they
stayed in it. They didn’t lay
down and let them just run
all over us.”
Following the game, Ben-
nett also found positives in
the performance of sopho-
more pitcher Blake Hughes,
who, despite not starting,
was on the mound when
White hit his homer.
“He’s pitched good for
me,” Bennett said. “He’s got
two saves already. … That’s
just baseball. Kid put a good
swing on it and got it out of
here. (Hughes) will be fine.
Blake’s got good stuff. He’s a
young kid. That’s just some-
DRAW: Both teams had
shots hit crossbar, posts
FROM 1B
shot just outside the goalie
box, with Eagles and Tor-
nadoes both getting quick
touches before Cade Win-
chester punched a short
kick past Williams for the
equalizer.
Both teams had shots hit
off the crossbar and posts
but neither found net in the
remaining 71 minutes.
Alcoa had six second-half
corner kicks, often well-
placed balls into the box
by Vallejos but with clears
made by Williams as well as
teammates including Ber-
eket Graves, Brandon Fara-
one and Collin Steinbach.
“Nothing came out of
our corner kicks, for sure,
but (MCS) defended them
well,” Corley said, “and I’ve
got to give them credit for
that, but we certainly have
some work to do, on set
plays and on our regular
running.”
Six minutes from the final
whistle, defender Steinbach
made one of the more nota-
ble saves for the Eagles.
Alcoa freshman forward
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NIGHT: Greenback’s hitters get plenty of good looks
FROM 1B
DARYL SULLIVAN | THE DAILY TIMES
‘They made a few
mistakes that left
it going on. We
tied it up and we
had opportunities.
We hit some balls
hard that could
have got us the
lead right there.
But I’m proud of
my guys that they
stayed in it.’
Robbie Bennett
Heritage head coach
thing that will help him out
later on down the line.”
The Mountaineers will
host Catholic on Monday
in a district game, hoping to
rebound from Friday’s loss.
“We’re just going to stay
positive and keep doing
what we do,” Bennett said.
“We’re a good baseball team.
We’ve just got to keep get-
ting better every day and
keep swinging, keep playing
defense and keep throwing.”
Manayeh Linton seemed to
have the commanding angle
for a sure shot, but Stein-
bach made a great sliding
block to deflect the poten-
tial game-winner.
MCS coach Geoff Hamm
said that Steinbach had got-
ten a huge bruise and raw
skin on his thigh from a
similar slide taken on arti-
ficial turf in a game the day
before, and “that slide had
to be painful, he paid for it.
I’m sure that whole rasp-
berry is back again after that
effort.”
“You could tell we were
getting a little tired at the
end, playing more to sur-
vive instead of playing with
purpose,” Hamm said, not-
ing that his team had played
three games in the past four
days. “But I’m proud of the
effort. Alcoa is a strong
team, made plenty of shots
and had plenty of chances,
but we just kept finding
ways to get in their way.”
Alcoa travels to Sevier
County to face the Smoky
B e a r s n e x t Tu e s d ay.
Maryville Christian hosts
Karns also on Tuesday.
509 W. Lamar Alexander Pkwy.
THE DAILY TIMES
on base, but the Cherokees
couldn’t capitalize.
Dylan Caldwell popped
up to end the inning and
Medders cruised the rest
of the way. He gave up just
the two hits, and allowed
just two base runners after
the second inning on a
walk and error. He struck
out six batters in the com-
plete-game shutout.
“There were some at-bats
said. “But a lot of times
Error lifts Powell over Maryville
BY LAUREN MOORE
laurenm@thedailytimes.com
After a loss, some coaches
would point to all the nega-
tives. David Allen isn’t that
type of coach.
That philosophy didn’t
change, even after a late
error proved costly in an
PREP SOFTBALL
POWELL 3, Maryville 0
eventual 3-0 home loss to
Powell in the first game of
a three-team round robin
Friday night.
“We started five fresh-
men. They are getting a lot
of experience,” Allen told
The Daily Times. “This is
a great opponent, playing
Powell. They are one of the
top teams in the state. We
had a chance there in the
seventh inning with two
runners on and one out
— you have to like your
chances at that point.”
When Kasey Monday —
aided by her stingy defense
— got two quick outs to
start the seventh inning, it
seemed likely the outcome
would depend on a walk-
off situation.
It did, but not in the way
the Lady Rebels (4-6) had
hoped.
Following the two outs,
Madison McGinnis ripped
a single up the middle for
Powell (10-1), and Caden
Baker came up. The lead-
off hitter laid down a slow
roller and when Hadley
York charged the ball,
Monday did as well, run-
ning into her teammate
as York’s throw went into
the dirt and bounced to the
first-base fence.
The errant throw scored
McGinnis for the first run,
advancing Baker to third
before she scored on a
deflected ball that bounced
off Monday’s glove and
placed Kennedy Cowder
safely at first. The Lady
Panthers rounded out the
three-run seventh inning
when Lilly Holston pow-
ered a line drive into left
field for a stand-up double.
“The plays, the one throw-
ing error to first was with
two outs and she was trying
to get the out and rushed
herself,” Allen said. “We
talked about it and we’ll
learn from it.
“The main thing it is
opportunities. Opportuni-
ties are going to keep com-
ing for you and you have to
capitalize on them and take
advantage of them. Like I
said, they are a great team,
experienced and we gave
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when we got a good pitch
to hit we fouled it straight
back. We just didn’t get it
to fall. (Medders) threw
well, he filled up the strike
zone and really worked the
strike zone that was estab-
lished.
“We were trying to stay
down and he was trying to
work up. We had a lot of
good swings and fouled a
lot of balls straight back.
They didn’t foul balls
straight back.”
Medders capped off the
game with a solo shot with
two outs in the top of the
MARYVILLE’S KENDAL PITTS (3) takes the throw at first to get Powell’s Kennedy Cowden (24)
Friday at John Sevier Elementary School.
ourselves a chance.”
The chances that Allen
talks about were highlight-
ed in the seventh inning,
when his Lady Rebels put
two on with one out. A
strikeout started the final
frame, but York, who fin-
ished 2 of 3 at the plate, sin-
gled, and then Riley Colli-
gan reached on a throwing
error before Powell ended
the game getting a line out-
and a fly ball.
Before the seventh-inning
hit, and a double from Ken-
dal Pitts in the sixth frame,
Powell starting pitcher
Allison Farr had allowed
just one hit, which was to
York in the second.
But, it’s those opportuni-
ties and a fantastic defen-
sive effort — specifically
Brooklin Richardson div-
ing to save a run in the sixth
inning— plus a complete-
game performance from
Monday that put the mis-
takes behind the positives
for Allen.
“She (Monday) came in
and did a great job and
kept their batters off bal-
ance,” Allen said. “We had
several diving plays in the
outfield, and great plays by
Saylor (Johnson) at short-
stop. Everybody did what
they needed to, we just
came up a little bit short.
In the seventh inning, we
had a couple balls, they’re
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SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2018
sixth, getting second life stepped up to the chal-
after a two-strike call went lenge,” Wes Caldwell said.
his way much to the out- “We have a lot of faith in
rage of the Cherokee faith- them. It wasn’t our night,
ful, to push the lead to 10 but we’ll be back. We’re
and end the game an inning going to go to war with
early in the bottom of the Alcoa tomorrow.”
frame.
Greenback doesn’t FOLLOW @TAYLOR_WHITE94
have much time to lick on Twitter for more from
i t s wo u n d s w i t h t h e sports writer Taylor White.
’Kees hosting Alcoa for a GRACE CHRISTIAN RAMS 10,
4:30 p.m. first pitch today, GREENBACK CHEROKEES 0, 6 INNINGS
but Wes Caldwell is confi- GC 120 601 — 10 10 1
dent his guys will be ready GB 000 000 —020
WP: Ryan Medders; LP: Tyler Cullen
for the quick turnaround. HR— GC: Noah Gent, Hunter Ferguson, Land-
“This gave us a chance on Crumbley, Medders.
to grow and these guys
DARYL SULLIVAN | THE DAILY TIMES
MARYVILLE’S HADLEY YORK HITS a single against Powell Friday
at John Sevier Elementary School.
a little bit the other way, this, and Jefferson County,
and we are still playing.” a quality team from their
The Lady Rebels’ game (Powell) district,” Allen
versus Jefferson County said. “We’ll do a couple
didn’t finish in time for of these Friday nights,
print. Friday’s night three- instead of going and
game round robin was the playing in tournaments.
first of a few Allen has We are bringing in some
scheduled for his season. teams that we want to play
He said it’s a chance for and hopefully it’s a good
his team to face competi- atmosphere and we get to
tion in regular high-school improve.”
playing standards, instead POWELL LADY PANTHERS 3,
of a timed game at a tour- MARYVILLE LADY REBELS
nament to gain valuable P 000 000 3—382
reps and for those five M 000 000 0—031
WP: Allison Farr. LP: Kasey Monday
freshmen — York, Car- 2B: P — Lilly Holston; M — Kendal Pitts
oline Barham, Colligan,
Pitts and Campbell White FOLLOW @LOMOSPORTS on
— to be prepared for when Twitter for more from sports
those big-game moments writer Lauren Moore. Write to
could mean much more. her at laurenm@thedaily
“That’s why we’ve done times.com
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