ELIZABETHTON – Facing elimination on Thursday night Chuckey-Doak senior Lynkin Cutshaw put his team on his back and delivered a gem from the mound in the District 1-2A Tournament.
Cutshaw silenced Johnson County’s bats and led the Black Knights to a 2-0 win in Elizabethton in the tournament’s loser bracket.
“We’re just happy to get a win. That’s what it’s about right now, if you win you get to keep playing,” Chuckey-Doak coach Jacob Willett said. “We have to climb the ladder now. Our bats weren’t there and we had to rely on defense. Lynkin may have thrown the best game of his career. He pitched his tail off to keep us going. He showed up when we needed him the most.”
Chuckey-Doak advances to Friday and will meet Happy Valley at 7:30 PM back in Elizabethton, again in an elimination game.
“I could not be more excited to win this game and continue the season tomorrow. But we have to swing the bat better tomorrow,” Willett said.
Cutshaw was in full control in his complete-game effort. He struck out nine, walked one and allowed two hits while using just 84 pitches.
“Coach and I talked about it before the game. I knew what I had to do tonight, I had to get on the bump and produce,” Cutshaw said. “I feel electric right now after getting a win in the postseason. I feel like I was really efficient tonight. My arm felt really good. I think my velocity was up and they were behind on my fastball. Then I was landing my breaker good at the top of their lineup where they have some good sticks.
At the plate the Black Knights’ slump continued and they were held to two hits, but near perfect defense led the way to a win.
The Longhorns only put one player in scoring position all night and that came in the top of the first inning when Carson Jenning reached on an infield error. A sacrifice bunt by Brock Jones moved him up, but Cutshaw’s first strikeout of the night ended the threat.
In the bottom of the first Chuckey-Doak had a chance to jump in front quickly when Kiptyn Ball led off the side with a single to left field. An error and a sacrifice bunt from Gavin Crum put him on third, but he got caught in a run down when Cutshaw sent a groundball to the hot corner.
The Black Knights were able to take advantage of their next hit. In the third inning Randall Sauceman and Crum each walked, and Cutshaw hit into an error that loaded the bases.
Cooper Seay came to the plate next and flared a line drive over the shortstop that allowed two runs to score. The 2-0 lead proved to be more than enough to secure the win.
Johnson County’s only other chance to get into scoring position came in the in the fifth inning but Seay connected with Crum to catch Dylan Reece trying to steal second.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Black Knights, but to advance to next week’s regional they will have to find a way to produce more offense going forward. Chuckey-Doak improves to 17-15 on the year.
“We have to pick it up one through nine. It’s not one guy struggling, we have nine guys struggling at the plate. But it just takes one or two hits to get out of the slump,” Willett said.
HAPPY VALLEY 5, SOUTH GREENE 3
The South Greene baseball team fought to the finish on Thursday night, but ultimately saw its season come to an end after a 5-3 loss to Happy Valley in the District 1-2A Tournament.
The Rebels finish the year with a 4-20 record.
The Warriors started the day by jumping in front 4-0 in the first inning. Mikey Hampton led off the side by sending a single to left field. Two walks and a hit batter allowed the first run of the day to score.
Next Aiden Hartstock sent a hard ball to the right side that was deflected deep into the grass, allowing two more runs to cross safely. Brody Wagner hit into a double play, but it allowed Greg Visser to score from third.
South Greene got off to a strong start as well, but could not take advantage. Maddux Brown was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a groundball to third. Then with Cameron Kinser on third Colton Fillers was thrown out trying to steal second. The result was four runners reaching base in the inning with no runs to show for it.
The score stayed at 4-0 until the fourth inning when the Warriors struck again. Hampton walked and went to third when Lane Parker split the right-center gap with a double.
Visser followed with a sacrifice fly to right field that pushed the lead to 5-0.
South Greene found some life in the sixth inning with a three-run frame.
Colton Fillers got things started by firing a single over the shortstop and Eli Fillers followed by landing a shot safely in right field. Christian Darnell grounded out to the second baseman to allow the first run to score.
Eli Fillers scored from second when Tyler Davis sent a pinch-hit single straight up the middle. Zach Mason sent a ball to the left side that the shortstop could not handle, and that allowed Dawson Ripley to close the gap to 5-3.
In the top of the seventh South Greene put the tying run on base, but could not further dent the lead.
Colton Fillers put a single into left field and Fillers followed with a walk. South Greene thought in loaded the bases when Ripley was hit by a pitch, but the umpire claimed he leaned into it and put him back in the batter’s box. He went on to ground out to end the game.
