CHARLESTON, Tenn. — After surviving a recreation that coated 24 hours at two completely different Athens areas Saturday, Walker Valley noticed its baseball season come to a detailed in a good battle at Mike Turner Area Sunday afternoon.
“That is how each single one among our ball video games go together with them,” stated Mustang head wrangler Wes Anderson of the 4-3 victory and the 2-0 defeat. “That is simply two good groups gutting it out.”
Posting simply the second sub .500 report since Anderson took over the reins in 2019, Walker Valley completed 15-18 after back-to-back 20-win seasons that noticed the Herd advance to the 2023 TSSAA State Event and the 2022 TSSAA Sectionals.
Posting its twentieth win of the season, McMinn County (20-12) not solely repays Herds for back-to-back season ending semifinal exits and can now squad off with top-seeded Cleveland (21-11) within the district title recreation Monday at 6 p.m., in Invoice Talley Stadium.
The Tribe additionally punch their ticket for the Area 3-4A Event at District 6-4A champion Bradley Central (24-7) this Friday and Saturday.
CHEROKEES 2, MUSTANGS 0
Yet one more pitcher’s duel, McMinn senior John Bryson went the space, holding WV batters off balanced, scattering 5 hits and three free passes, however solely two Mustangs made it previous second base as they left 9 “geese on the pond.”
Walker Valley senior lefty Conner Phillips countered with 6.1 innings of labor, additionally permitting 5 hits and a trio of “freebies,” however Tribe was in a position to money in for a pair of runs.
After Phillips set the guests down so as within the high of the primary, Carson-Newman signee Braxton Smith opened the underside of the primary with a stable single to left and stole second, earlier than classmate Felipe Castellanos beat out an infield hit.
A two-out “plunk” of junior Michael Pledge loaded the luggage, by a second throw out by Cleveland State signee and Tribe catcher Hunter McDonald ended the menace.
Cincinnati signee Ty Barnett and McDonald opened the highest of the second with back-to-back singles to proper subject earlier than Landon Roberts “walked the road” to pack the sacks.
Senior Jayce Falls then stepped into the field and delivered the sport’s solely two runs with a single to plate Barnett and McDonald.
After the runs, Phillips sat down 12 of the subsequent 14 Cherokees earlier than giving strategy to Cooper Henry to get the ultimate two outs.
Walker Valley threatened within the third when Smith drew a lead-off stroll and on one other infield hit by Castellanos, however e ven a sac fly to proper by Phillips to maneuver Smith to 3rd was to not avail as Bryson induced one other fly out to finish the at bat.
The Herd acquired a few runners on within the fifth when Castellanos stroked a two-out single and Carson Minnix drew a stroll, however a pop up on the infield closed the menace.
The Mustangs acquired a runner on with a Pledge single within the sixth and Castellanos’ fourth hit of the day within the seventh, however neither left first base.
MUSTANGS 4, CHEROKEES 3
Braxton Smith began the motion Friday at McMinn County Excessive Faculty with a lead-off solo house run, and the Mustangs had an opportunity so as to add extra, loading bases with two outs earlier than a groundout saved their lead at 1-0.
After a roughly half-hour delay, play was suspended for Friday.
Sooner or later later and with the change in venue to Tennessee Wesleyan’s Athens Insurance coverage Stadium, Mustang Hayden Harrison led off the second inning by out-running a tag try after a bunt for the only, then went to 3rd base on two wild pitches and scored on junior Jordan Smith’s sacrifice fly.
McMinn acquired on the board within the backside of the fourth with a RBI-single from Hunter McDonald, and the Cherokees loaded the bases with no outs after an error on a Landon Roberts bunt.
However a Chase McDonald RBI-hit that stayed within the infield was all of the Tribe may muster.
Mustang senior Titus Torbett acquired two of his 5 strikeouts for the sport, with a pressure out at third after Chase McDonald’s tying hit in between, to carry the rating to a 2-2 tie.
Braxton Smith led off the fifth with a single, Castellanos walked and Minnix sacrifice bunted each runners into scoring place, setting it up for Phillips to pay it off with a tough floor ball that skipped into the outfield and a brand new two-run Mustang lead.
“We have been fearful about Conner, he sliced his leg open final week and we have been curious how he will work on it,” Coach Anderson associated. “And also you need to discuss a competitor, that man is a three-technique in soccer at 200 kilos, and that is his mentality.
“And that was one other time for it. He simply caught his bat on the market and had sufficient on it to place it into heart subject and lucky to get two runs out of it.”
Walker Valley went out so as the final two innings, making for a powerful end to McMinn freshman Max Roderick’s six-inning begin and a powerful body of reduction from Bryson.
A one-out error within the backside of the seventh put Luke Lawson on first base for the Cherokees. Alabama commit Brooks Berry sailed a double over an outfielder to carry McMinn inside one and convey harmful clean-up hitter Mason Roderick to the plate. However Torbett answered with a strikeout of the Tribe’s Carson-Newman signee to pressure the decider.
“Titus has been an absolute dude for us all 12 months lengthy,” praised Coach Anderson. “He actually has. He actually had good things, however I’ve seen him have higher.
“However he is simply an absolute competitor and is a bulldog on the mound. And I am unable to say something extra about that. How do you reply when you do not have your finest stuff? And he responded extremely immediately.”
Recreation Abstract
District 5-4A
Event
Semifinal
best-of-3
Saturday, Could 4
at Tennessee Wesleyan
Walker Valley 110 020 0 — 4 8 2
McMinn County 000 200 1 — 3 6 0
Torbett and J. Smith; Roderick, Bryson (7) and H. McDonald.
WP: Titus Torbett. LP: Max Roderick.
Sunday, Could 5
at Mike Turner Area
McMinn County 020 000 0 — 2 5 0
Walker Valley 000 000 0 — 0 6 1
Bryson and H. McDonald; Phillips, Henry (7) and J. Smith.
WP: John Bryson. LP: Conner Phillips. Data: McMinn County 20-12; Walker Valley 15-18.
(Contact Joe Cannon at joe.cannon@clevelandbanner.com)
