The North Greene baseball team started running away from Unaka early and never looked back on the way to a 10-0 win that improved the Huskies District 1-1A record to 6-0.
“We are just glad to get to play today after this one got rained out on Monday,” North Greene coach Jamey Palmer said. “We wanted to throw strikes, catch outs, and put the ball in play and I felt like we did all of those things. If we hit like we are capable of, top to bottom we are pretty good baseball team.”
North Greene scored four runs in the first inning and did so using five steals and a passed ball. In total North Greene stole 10 bases on Wednesday, and it took three more bases on two passed balls and a wild pitch. Jake Duffy led that effort with three steals, while Isaac Gaby, Tyler Britton and Colten Suggs all had two.
“I felt like we ran the bases well today, and that was a point of emphasis,” Palmer said. “Duffy and Isaac in the one and two spots have a lot of speed. We have a few guys that can really motor and if we can get them on, we can really move them around,” Palmer said.
Duffy got the running started early when he led off the bottom of the first by being hit by the first delivery he saw. He quickly stole second and took third on a passed ball before Gaby sent a ground ball through the left side for an RBI single.
Gaby scored before Britton completed the third at bat of the day. In a four-pitch stretch he stole two bases and then crossed the dish on a passed ball. Britton walked and after stealing second Christian Cogdill skipped a groundball by the second baseman that scored the side’s third run. Courtesy runner, Suggs, scored when Aidan Halley dropped a bloop single on top of second base.
North Greene put up three more runs in the third inning. Cogdill was hit by a pitch to start the side, and Suggs who was running for the catcher scored when Brady Malone launched a fly ball into the left field fence. Malone scored on an infield error, and Duffy pushed across Halley with a chopper that got through the left side on a hit and run.
With two outs in the fourth inning Unaka earned its first hit of the night, a line drive to center field by Rylan Crabtree. The Rangers went on to load the bases, but a simple groundout to third base ended the side with no damage done.
The Rangers had a hard time figuring out Duffy on the mound. He threw all five innings, striking out three, walking two and allowing two hits. He had a no-hitter going through 3 2/3 innings.
“Jake pounded the zone today. He was getting his slider over for strikes and keeping the hitters off balance. That’s all we’re looking for. I have to give Christian (Cogdill) a lot of credit, he did a great job behind the plate,” Palmer said.
In the bottom of the fourth North Greene’s lead grew to 8-0. Britton reached on a walk and after a steal and passed ball he scored on a groundout by Cogdill.
The game ended by run rule in the fifth inning. Duffy was hit by a pitch again and Gaby fired a single into centerfield to put runners on first and third. Gaby took off for second and Britton hit behind him, sending a ball into right field that scored both runners to end the contest.
In total North Greene earned eight hits on Friday. Britton was 2-for-2 with two walks, two RBIs and two runs scored. Gaby went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Malone had a double. Duffy stole three bases and scored two runs.
North Greene will host a double header on Thursday in the Buddy Hawk Classic, first taking on Hampton and then Cocke County.
