The Chuckey-Doak baseball team could not get its bats going on Monday night and took a 5-4 loss to Gatlinburg-Pittman on the final night of the regular season.
The Black Knights finish the regular season with a 16-14 record, but they dropped their final three games. That has coach Jacob Willett looking for a change of attitude as the postseason begins.
“We haven’t played well for a few games, and that worries me come tournament time,” Willett said. “We have to find a way to flush this, because Wednesday we are 0-0. Today doesn’t matter anymore, the last two months don’t matter. The only thing that matters is what we do going forward.”
Chuckey-Doak will start District 1-2A Tournament action on Wednesday when it will play host to the winner of West Greene and South Greene. The Rebels and Buffaloes are scheduled to meet on Tuesday.
“We have to find a way to get hot,” Willett said. “When these guys are locked in and playing for the guy next to them they are pretty dang good. But when we aren’t locked in we can lose to anybody. We have to find a way to bring the right mindset on Wednesday. This is an experienced group and they understand what is at stake. I expect them to get it figured out.”
Chuckey-Doak managed just three hits and struck out eight times on Monday. Braxton Lowe was 2-for-3 with a double and Dom Atchison had a double.
“We have to be simpler in our approach,” Willett said. “We went through a stretch where we had a lot of success, and I think we got a little too big with our swings. We are taking meat swing right now, trying to go yard every pitch. That is getting us beat on breakers, and we are getting beat on fastball too. That’s not a good combination.”
The Black Knights took a 2-0 lead in the first inning without earning a hit. Shane Cook walked and Kiptyn Ball was hit by a pitch, then with two outs Gavin Crum was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Lynkin Cutshaw worked another walk to score Cook and Lowe was hit by a pitch to allow Ball to cross the dish safely.
The Highlanders evened things at 2-2 in the second frame. Two walks started the inning and then Easton Gaff laid down a bunt that died on the third-base line to load the bases.
Cutshaw struck out the next two batters, but then Colt Hammonds sent a two-run single into left field.
Both teams put runners in scoring position in the third, fourth and fifth innings but the score stayed knotted at 2-2.
In the sixth inning Gatlinburg took control with a three-run side. Two walks and an error loaded the bases, and then Jayden Barton walked to score the first run.
Ryan Cutshaw sent a bunt down first-base line that allowed Benjamin Jones to score. First baseman Benjamin Palazzo misplayed the ball and then collided with Cutshaw which interrupted the play enough to allow Hammonds to score as well for a 5-2 lead.
Chuckey-Doak got one run back in the bottom of the sixth inning. Atchison led off the side by blasting a double into the left-center gap. He moved the rest of the way around after Cook and Ball hit into a pair of infield errors.
In the seventh inning the Black Knights added one more run. With two outs Lowe sent a double deep into left field. Sending the ball back to the dirt the Highlanders threw ball out of play allowing Lowe to score.
On the mound the Black Knights used five different arms. Cutshaw started the game and went two innings with two strikeouts, two walks and two hits allowed.
Gavin Murray was effective in two relief innings, striking out four, walking one and allowing no hits.
Mason Henderson took the loss. He walked three and allowed three runs without recording an out.
