The Greeneville baseball team wrapped up a challenging week on Saturday with a 2-0 win over A.C. Reynolds of North Carolina in the Buddy Hawk Classic.
After getting rained out three times this week and taking a pair of tough losses to a talented North Gwinnett, Georgia squad it was good for the Greene Devils to end things on a high note with a win over the Rockets.
“It’s good to get a game in after all of the rain. I felt like we pitched good and we played good defense, then we got some timely hitting,” Collins said. “I’m so proud of our guys, especially our seniors, for how they have handled this week. Those six seniors have been amazing, and they know what we are trying to do. It might be easier to try to avoid certain teams, other teams have done that in this tournament, but our guys understand that playing this type of talent is what we are going to see if we are able to make it to state.”
Carson Quillen controlled the game on the mound by tossing a seven-inning shutout while using just 81 pitches. He struck out one, walked two and allowed four hits. He only allowed two runners to reach scoring position and sat the side down in order four times.
“Carson threw a lot of strikes and filled up the zone. He mixed his stuff well today. He was still going right at them, but he kept them off balance,” Collins said.
In each of the first three innings Greeneville put a runner in scoring position, but the Greene Devils finally broke through in the fourth inning.
Will Harmon led off the side by being hit by a pitch. He quickly stole both second and third. Kaine Ricker then struck out, but Rockets’ catcher Lincoln Rodgers could not hold onto the ball. Ricker took off for first and the throw to eliminate him went into his back before bouncing into foul territory. That gave Harmon the opportunity to score the day’s first run.
Next Kobe Mundy skipped a groundball through the left side. Grayson Crosby walked and Noah Murray loaded the bases when he sent a bunt past the mound on the left side. Jack Lister sent a groundball to the second baseman that scored Mundy from third for a 2-0 lead.
“That has to be our kind of baseball. The other team may outhit us, but we have to out execute. That’s the name of the game, execution is how we are going to win games,” Collins said.
Greeneville only earned three hits on Saturday but was helped by eight walks. In addition to Mundy and Murray Carson Norris also had a single.
Greeneville loaded the bases again in the fifth inning after Maddox Bishop, Mundy and Crosby all worked walks, but the Rockets left them stranded.
A.C. Reynolds put two runners on base for the first time in the seventh inning after Jesse Danner and Cody Hudgins reached on a pair of singles. Ricker, Conner Ireland and Harmon combined for a 6-4-3 double play that ended the danger and ended the game.
Greeneville improves to 18-5 on the year and will be back in action on Monday at Grainger.
