The Greeneville baseball team saved its best for last on Thursday night, rallying past Anderson County in the seventh inning to earn a fourth consecutive trip to the Class 3A State Tournament.
In a Class 3A State Sectional series at Tusculum’s Pioneer Park the Greene Devils were down to their last at bat when they scored four runs to rally past the Mavericks for a 4-2 victory.
“We’re a tough team, and it took a whole team to pull this off. I’m very proud of them right now,” Greeneville coach Andy Collins said. “These guys have learned that they a role on this team and they have become good at their role. Some of these guys have waited and they know that now is their time. They felt like they had something to prove.”
Paired with a 9-1 win on Wednesday the Devils were able to end the three-game series early earned a chance to defend their Class 3A State Title in Murfreesboro. It will be the Devils’ sixth trip to the state tournament in program history. They won the whole thing in three of those five previous trips. Thursday’ win improved Greeneville to 38-8 on the year, setting a new high-water mark for wins in a season.
“It feels great to be going to state. It’s the fourth time we’ve time done it and its almost an expectation now,” Greeneville senior Will Harmon said. “Its great to get to experience it again. We have to give a lot of credit to coach Collins. He’s the best coach I’ve had. We live, eat and sleep baseball. March to May everything is baseball and I have to give him credit for pushing us.”
The Greene Devils were held in check by Maverick’s pitcher Kris Pelliccio for six innings, but in the seventh frame the top of the lineup was due up. Greeneville found a new energy and through a series of good at bats moved enough guys around the diamond to flip the outcome.
Down 2-0 Maddox Bishop led off the side with a groundball to the shortstop that was booted, allowing him to reach safely. With his pitch-count limit looming Pelliccio exited the game and Lee Goins took over. Goins faced three batters, allowed three hits and did not record an out.
Kaine Ricker sent a shot up the middle, and Tegan Begley followed with a line drive through the left side that scored the Devils’ first run of the night.
Next Harmon smacked a groundball past the second baseman to score Ricker and evened the score at 2-2.
Hayden Ault then took over on the Hill for the Mavericks, but that did not slow down the Devils’ momentum. Grayson Crosby dropped a single into right field that allowed Begley to score from third, putting Greeneville in front for the first time.
“Their pitcher was throwing strikes and competing well. I felt like we were barreling up balls, they just weren’t going to the right spots,” Begley said. “We basically played the waiting game, and when he came out we stuck to it and put the barrel on the ball. Those hits started landing. The main thing was we never stopped swinging.”
Crosby went one to score on a wild pitch to make it 4-2 before the Mavericks could get out of the inning.
Now with its back against the wall Anderson County tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh. Jackson Harris sent a line drive to right field, and that led to Collins calling on Begley to finish things on the mound.
Begley walked the first batter he faced which put the go-ahead run at the plate, but then forced a soft pop up before striking out Blake Lowe to seal the victory.
“When I came in that was on my mind. Obviously to win and go to state, but I wanted to end it on a strikeout,” Begley said. “It’s a surreal feeling. It’s something I’ve dreamed about my whole life. To be able to do it with these guys that I call family feels great.”
Greeneville had its chances to play from in front on Thursday, loading the bases in the second and sixth innings, and putting runners on second and third in the third. Each time Pelliccio got out of the jam, but long at bats ran up his pitch count. In total Greeneville forced 19 two-ball counts on Thursday. Pelliccio finished with seven strikeouts, five walks and three hits allowed.
Greeneville got a strong showing from three arms on Thursday. Randen Fillers started and went five innings with four strikeouts, one walk and six hits allowed.
Silar Lewis earned the win in relief. In 1 1/3 innings he struck out two, walked none and allowed one hit.
Begley earned the save for Greeneville. In 2/3 of an inning he struck out one and walked one.
Anderson County took the lead in the third inning. Harris fired a single into left field and beat the throw home on a fly ball to left by Lowe.
That lead grew to 2-0 in the fourth inning. Clay Fletcher led off the side by getting a groundball through the left side. He scored from second when Harris sent a groundball through the right side.
Begley and Harmon each had two hits for Greeneville. Harris went 3-for-3 for the Mavericks.
The Class 3A State Tournament will begin on Tuesday, May 19 in Murfreesboro.
