The North Greene baseball team had chances on Thursday, but it could not make the most of them and fell to Cherokee 9-7.
The Huskies left 10 runners on base and allowed six unearned runs, and that proved too much to overcome against the Class 3A Chiefs.
“Cherokee is a good baseball team and we knew that coming in. We came out and put a couple of runs on the board early. They put the ball in play and we had some great plays on defense, but we let a couple of plays get away from us, and they ended up costing us,” North Greene coach Jamey Palmer said.
North Greene did take the lead first on Thursday with three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
After shortstop Isaac Gaby ended Cherokee’s first chance to score with a double play Jaiden Bailey got North Greene’s offense started with a leadoff walk. Bailey scored from third when Tyler Britton dropped a fly ball into shallow centerfield. Gaby then scored by beating catcher Eli Boyd back to the dish on a passed ball.
Britton scored on a groundout by Colten Suggs to push the advantage to 3-0.
Cherokee was able to get one of those runs back in the second inning. Both Sawyer Housewright and Leland Blair were able to land pop ups in the dirt beyond first base.
The Chiefs drew even at 3-3 in the top of the third inning. Jayden Weston led off by slamming a double into the left-center gap. Next Porter Owen sent a line drive into right field. Weston scored on the hit and when the ball was misplayed in the grass Owen made it to third. Housewright got a groundball through the right side to push across the tying run before North Greene could get out of the inning.
North Greene answered in the bottom of the third inning and scored three more runs for a 6-3 lead.
Christian Cogdill started things by taking advantage of an error and Wyatt Burns followed by ripping a line drive into left field.
Isaac Halley put North Greene back in front when he got a line drive to land in front of the defense in centerfield. A second error of the inning allowed Burns to score, and Halley made it 6-3 when he crossed on a passed ball.
Four unearned runs in the fourth inning allowed the Chiefs to take the lead. With two outs Boyd sent a fly ball to left field that was dropped allowing two runs to score. Housewright stepped in the box next and sent a two-run single up the middle to put Cherokee in front 7-6.
A two-run double by Owen in the sixth inning put Cherokee in front 9-6.
North Greene tried to rally in the seventh and put the tying run on the base path, but ultimately the Huskies came up short.
Isaac Halley led off the inning by sending a line drive into right field and he went to third when Suggs legged out a chopper to the shortstop. Cutshall pushed across Halley when he ripped a shot over the shortstop.
The Chiefs sat down the next two batters, leaving two runners stranded to end the night. After Cherokee took the lead in the fourth inning North Greene left six runners on the base path.
Halley took the loss for North Greene. In seven innings he struck out three, walked none and allowed 12 hits. Only three of the nine runs he allowed were earned.
At the plate Isaac Halley was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Cogdill went 2-for-4, and Aidan Halley had a double.
For Cherokee Steven Barnes earned the win in relief. In 3 2/3 innings he struck out five, walked none and allowed four hits.
Weston was 3-for-3 with a double for the Chiefs. Housewright was 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
North Greene will be back in action on Friday at home against West Greene.
