In a game full of errors and mistakes the North Greene Huskies did what needed to be done to get the best of South Greene and defended the Tundra with a 9-8 win over the visiting Rebels on Thursday night.
“The score could’ve been 75-0 or 9-8 and I’ll take a win any day over a loss. I don’t like losing and nobody likes losing. Sometimes it’s not about the wins or losses, it’s how you play the game and the last few games we’ve been really struggling. So, it feels good to get a (win),” North Greene Coach Jamey Palmer stated.
It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t clean, and it may not have been a fun game for some. The game produced a combined 12 errors, 10 walks, 13 stolen bases, and 17 strikeouts. The Huskies won a 9-8 game with only two hits total due to the errors committed by the Rebels.
Aidan Halley took the bump for North Greene and shoved for 5.1 innings with nine hits, three earned runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts.
“We’re trying to get him some work in. Aidan is a good pitcher and we need to get him as much work as possible because the tournament is coming up. He’ll compete, I wish we would’ve played a little cleaner behind him,” Palmer said.
Seth Franklin pitched opposite of Halley and threw four innings with two hits, one earned run, six walks, and six strikeouts.
South Greene never laid down and came back from 2-0, 5-3, and 8-5 deficits to either tie or take the lead in every scenario. They managed to wipe away a three-run, sixth-inning deficit to tie the game, but Jake Duffy came in to relieve Halley with bases loaded and two outs. He got North Greene out of the jam. The Huskies then took the lead in the bottom half and were able to preserve the win with three more outs in the seventh.
North Greene improved to 11-7 and South Greene dropped to 3-19.
The first inning was clean with no runs scored, but the Huskies tacked on two in the bottom of the second to take the first lead. Brady Malone led off with a walk. Franklin struck out back-to-back Huskies and had the third out flying into the outfield, but a dropped fly ball helped Malone score and kept the inning alive. Jaiden Bailey was the one to hit the fly ball and scored through a balk later in the inning.
The Rebels responded right back with a three-spot in the top of the third to snag the lead. Zach Mason singled to lead off the inning but two-straight outs made it seem like he would be left stranded. They managed to score all three runs with two outs. Tyler Davis singled next to put two on. Franklin laced a double to left field and scored Charlie Lane. Pablo Rosario cleared the bases next with a two-RBI triple to send South Greene into the lead.
Down 3-2 the Huskies responded with a three-spot of their own in the bottom half. Halley singled to lead off the inning and Malone drew another walk to put two aboard. Christian Cogdill sent a hard grounder to shortstop and reached first on a throwing error that helped courtesy runner Jarrod Swatzell and Malone score. Wyatt Burns hit a sacrifice fly to deep left and scored Turner Collins with ease.
Trailing again 5-3, South Greene fought back to tie it in the fourth. T Ricker and Zach Mason singled to hop on first and second. Ricker advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on Charlie Lane’s groundout. The same way South Greene dropped a third out ball in the outfield, North Greene did the same to return that run they were given. Mason scored the run on Colten Fillers’ ball to the outfield.
The Huskies broke the 5-5 tie and went up 7-5 in the bottom of the fourth. Jake Duffy led off the inning with a single and Aidan Halley walked to board two men on base. Jake Duffy stole third and benefited from a throwing error that helped him advance home with ease. Halley scored next on another throwing error.
North Greene heavily benefited from South Greene’s numerous errors and having Seth Franklin on the mound. The Rebels committed six errors and the Huskies stole thirteen bases with Franklin not behind the dish.
The top of the fifth was scoreless as South Greene left two stranded. Wyatt Burns benefited from one of those six errors and reached safely after hitting an infield grounder. He stole second, advanced to third on a balk, and scored on a passed ball. North Greene led 8-5 after five.
South Greene rallied and scored three runs to tie it 8-8 in the sixth. Charlie Lane hit a grounder and reached first base on a throwing error. He advanced to second on that same error. Colten Fillers bunted and forced North Greene to commit back-to-back errors. Lane scored on the error and Fillers ended up on second. Tyler Davis singled to left field and helped Fillers score. Seth Franklin was hit by a pitch and Pablo Rosario singled to load the bases. A bases-loaded walk scored Davis and knotted the score 8-8.
The inning ended on a full-count strikeout with the bases loaded.
The Huskies boarded leadoff man Isaac Gaby through a walk and helped him round the bases to score the go-ahead and game-deciding run. He stole second and advanced to third on Halley’s groundout. A passed ball on Owen Pierce’s at bat gave him the green light to sprint towards the plate.
South Greene attempted a two-out rally as Fillers singled and Davis walked, but the rally ended with a fly out to left field.
North Greene held on to win 9-8 and completed a season sweep over the Rebels.
The Huskies host Carter on Friday at 2 p.m. South Greene travels to Unicoi for a game at 5 p.m.
