Greene Devils Settle For Silver, Fall 3-1 In State Title Game

MURFREESBORO – The Greeneville baseball team had to settle for silver on Friday evening as it fell to Crockett County 3-1 in the Class 3A state championship game at Siegel High School.

“That was a heck of a baseball game,” Greeneville coach Andy Collins said. “This group gave us everything. They earned 41 wins against some really tough opponents. I want them to be proud. There is nothing to be sad about right now. It was good baseball and I love it.”

While second place was not the ultimate goal, Collins could not help but be proud of his squad for what they have accomplished. The Greene Devils set a program record for wins with 41 this year, a mark almost unheard of in high school baseball. Greeneville’s senior class finishes with four state tournament appearances, two state championships and 139 wins, another program best.

“These seniors have taught this group so much. They are winners. Forty one wins is a lot of wins, and that is a record I don’t think will be broken,” Collins said. “They came together as a team and these seniors did that. They fought until the very end, and they played the game hard every day.”

On the mound for Greeneville’s Grayson Crosby turned in maybe his best performance of the year. He went all seven innings with four strikeouts, three walks and five hits allowed. He did not give up an earned run.

Coming into Friday he had thrown 22 innings over nine appearances.

“Grayson pitched his butt off,” Collins said. “He threw seven really good innings in the state championship game. He’s disappointed right now, but when he has a chance to sit down and  think about it, this ought to be a motivating factor going forward.”

Greeneville got the scoring started on Friday with one run in the bottom of the second inning. Crosby got a single through the right side and Silar Lewis took over on the base path for him.

Lewis scored as the rain started coming down when Kase Spradlen sent a hard groundball to the shortstop that was booted into left field.

Shortly after that the game went into a rain delay that lasted approximately four hours.

“It’s tough to jump back into a game after a long layoff, at the same time you like knowing you are jumping back in leading 1-0,” Collins said. “You also think that their guy on the mound has been sitting for two hours so maybe we have an advantage. It was a good game before the delay and it was a good game after the delay.  I tip my hat to their kid for the way he threw today.”

Coming out of the break Greeneville never got its offense going again as Crockett County pitcher Michael Winders stayed in complete control to the finish.

Winders finished with seven strikeouts, no walks and three hits allowed in a 91-pitch complete game.

The Cavaliers were able to tie the game in the fourth inning. Right after Kaine Ricker turned a double play to end one scoring threat Mason Ray reached on an error. Samuel Proctor made the mistake hurt when he sent an RBI double to left field.

Crockett County took the lead by scoring two runs in the fifth inning. Brady Fronabarger walked and then Winders hit into error. To make maters worse a defensive interference ruling moved the runners up to second and third.

Next up Landry Fronabarger flew a double to the left field wall that allowed both runners to score for a 3-1 lead.

Will Harmon tried to start a Greeneville rally in the bottom of the seventh when he launched double to the deepest part of centerfield. He never got any further as the Cavaliers sat down the next two batters to clinch the program’s first state championship.

Greeneville was held to three hits on Friday. Harmon had a double while Crosby and Kase Spradlen each had a single.

Greeneville finishes the year with a 41-10 record. Of their 10 losses seven came against teams that made the state tournament and four were to eventual state champions.