The Greeneville baseball team was nothing short of dominant this week in the District 2-3A Tournament and that continued on Saturday as the Greene Devils claimed their 17th straight league title.
In the district championship game at Tusculum University Greeneville took down Grainger 15-1, wrapping up a tournament that saw the Devils outscore their opponents by a combined score of 35-1.
“It’s been a fun year with these guys. Sometimes I get to looking ahead and don’t focus enough on how fun this is,” Greeneville coach Andy Collins said. “I think these guys were mad they gave up the one run, but they have played well this week. It’s a step in the right direction. Now its up to them to determine how hard they want to work to achieve what we all want to achieve.”
With the win the Greene Devils earn the right to host next week’s Region 1-3A Tournament, which will return to Tusculum. Greeneville will open the regional against the District 1-3A runner up. Tennessee High and David Crockett meet on Sunday in the District 1-3A championship game.
“I think this is one of the best weeks we’ve had. We prepared the right way for this tournament, we had a lot of energy and I think that showed,” Tournament MVP Will Harmon said. “Going forward it is going to take the same things. We have stay humble, stay within ourselves and try to lock in an do our jobs.”
Greeneville blew the game open in the third inning with a 10-run frame that stretched the lead to 13-1.
Kaine Ricker led off the side with a walk, and Tegan Begley put him on third with a pop up that used some unconventional backspin to elude the right side of the defense.
Harmon came up next and dropped another one in the shallow portion of the outfield, this time behind third base.
The Devils were able to execute well at the plate, even when the hits weren’t powerful they were well placed in the larger confines of Pioneer Park. Greeneville produced 12 hits in the win with seven of them staying inside 150 feet. They laid down three bunts and took advantage of six walks to move around the base path.
“We put the ball in play and this is a big ballpark,” Collins said. “We’re used to it and that helps, even in the week ahead. Execution from here on out is essential to everything. We’re going to face dudes, and were going to face guys that throw the ball 60 MPH. That’s why this is hardest sport, because you have to make those adjustments, and that is something we have been able to do.”
Begley scored on a bases-loaded walk and then Colton Smith cleared the bases with a chopper to the shortstop that was booted into left field.
After Jaxon Winter worked a walk Maddox Bishop sent a line drive into right field that bounced past a diving defender all the way to the wall. Smith and Winter each scored easily and Bishop raced all 360 feet for a stand-up, inside-the-park home run.
Bishop finished Saturday by going 2-for-3 with a home run, triple, three RBIs and three runs scored.
“As leadoff hitter I feel like its important for me to get on base and get the energy going for the whole team,” Bishop said. “Getting hits like that feels great. I came around second and saw coach Collins waving me home. I didn’t think it would be an inside park home run, but this is a big field.”
Bishop’s home run pushed the lead to 11-1, but Greeneville was still batting. Begley legged out a double that he dropped over first base and Harmon landed another double into shallow centerfield that skipped past the defense. Grayson Crosby knocked in the final run when he split the right-center gap with a single.
The Grizzlies used three singles to load the bases in the fourth inning, but reliever Silar Lewis was able to end the threat with a pair of strikeouts.
A pair of bases-loaded walks gave Greeneville its final two runs in the bottom of the fourth frame.
Grainger was able to strike on first Saturday with one run in the top of the first inning. Three walks and a hit batter allowed Ty Collins to make it all the way around the diamond.
Begley started on the mound for the Greene Devils and had a rough first frame before settling in. In the first inning he walked four and hit one batter, but over the next two innings he struck out three, walked one and allowed two hits.
Bishop wasted little time putting Greeneville in position to answer. From his leadoff spot the senior burned the defense with a triple to right field. Ricker hit into a ground out that evened the score at 1-1.
Begley sent a groundball past the third baseman, and a failed pickoff attempt allowed him to reach third. Greeneville took a 3-1 lead when Harmon sent a sacrifice fly to left field.
In the second inning Greeneville’s Sam Thompson led off with a single to left field and a sacrifice fly from Winter scored him.
In addition to Bishop’s big day Begley was 3-for-4 with a double. Harmon was 2-for-2 with a double and four RBIs. Smith drove in three runs and Ricker drove in two runs.
In relief Lewis threw two innings with five strikeouts, no walks and three hits allowed.
