On a chilly night at Dale Alexander field the Greeneville baseball team cruised past Volunteer for an 11-1 win that moved the Greene Devils to a perfect 9-0 record in District 2-3A play.
“We have played a lot of games in a row, and we are about to play more games in a row this week. We are going to have to be a little more sharp to get through the rest of the week. But is was good to get a win when its too cold out here for this time of the year,” Greeneville coach Andy Collins said.
Will Harmon led the way from the mound as he struck out nine batters in five innings with four walks and two hits allowed.
“Will started strong and was filling up the zone early. That was the key to his success,” Collins said.
At the plate the battery duo of Harmon and Noah Murray went a perfect 6-for-6. Harmon was 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs. Murray went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
“It was good to get that production. We have been working on some things with Noah in the cage and it is good to see him buy into those things,” Collins said.
As a team Greeneville earned 13 hits on Tuesday. Carson Norris was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Maddox Bishop had two RBIs and scored two runs. Carson Quillen scored two runs.
Harmon got the scoring started in the first inning when he used a double to left field to knock in Bishop from second base.
The Greene Devils broke the game open with five runs in the second inning. Murray got things going by launching a double into the left-center gap. Quillen knocked in the first run of the side by ripping a line drive into left field.
Norris followed with a two-run single straight up the middle. On a hit and run Bishop bounced a chopper passed the shortstop, and Harmon lofted a fly ball to the warning track in left field for a two-run double that pushed the Devils’ lead to 6-0.
Volunteer got on the board in the fourth frame. Gavin Hickernell was walked to lead off the inning, and after another walk and a groundout he scored on a passed ball.
In the fifth inning Greeneville’s Kobe Mundy swatted a groundball through the left side of the infield with two outs. On the next at bat Mundy stole second, and then Murray traced the left field line with an RBI single that traveled deep into the grass.
The Greene Devils finished the game in the sixth inning by plating four more runs. Quillen was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Norris followed it by slamming a single into centerfield. Bishop then sent a sacrifice fly to right field. Quillen scored easily on the play, and then the Falcons threw the ball away, allowing Norris to score as well.
Jack Lister scored when Jacob Ward sent a shot to third base that was booted into the grass. Grayson Crosby, who reached on a pinch-hit single, scored the game-ending run when Conner Ireland was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Jaxon Winter turned in a strong sixth inning on the mound for Greeneville. He needed just six pitches to collect a strikeout and three outs. It was another strong outing from one of the Devils’ bullpen arms, and that has Collins optimistic for the postseason.
“It was good to get Jaxon in there, and the depth of our pitching staff is what is going to help us down the road,” Collins said. “Those guys know their role now, and that is a big key. At the beginning of the year you are trying to figure out what you have, but those guys have shown they give us the ability to free up our four top guys. It’s huge not to have to ride the starters.”
