The North Greene baseball team stayed perfect on the season on Monday evening by taking down District 1-1A foe Cloudland 16-2.
“We knew before the game that being patient at the plate was going to be important tonight. We emphasized swinging at strikes, and we did a got job of being disciplined at the plate,” North Greene coach Jamie Palmer said. “We also had some important hits at keys times, and I’m really proud of the approach at the plate.”
The Huskies took advantage of control issues among the Highlanders four pitchers as they worked 10 walks and were hit by six pitches. Five of their runs crossed with the bases loaded on walks or hit batters, and three more scored on wild pitches.
The day started with the Highlanders taking the first lead. Walker Gouge led off with a four-pitch walk and he scored on an infield error with two outs.
North Greene pitcher Jake Duffy’s first six pitches on Monday missed the strike zone, but once he settled in he was in control of the game. Duffy finished the day with seven strikeouts, one walk and three hits allowed in four innings on the hill.
“It sometimes takes Jake 15 to 20 pitches to get going, but once he gets dialed in he does a good job. He works on that slider and that’s his go-to pitch. I’m very proud of him today,” Palmer said.
Cloudland’s lead was short lived and North Greene plated five runs in the bottom of the first frame. Duffy reached base first when the Highlanders threw the ball away on a groundball up the middle. That error proved costly when Brady Malone skipped a line drive up the middle that banged off the umpire. Duffy scored on the play, but the ball stayed in the infield and kept Isaac Gaby on third base.
North Greene’s next two runs crossed on bases-loaded walks. Tyler Britton sent a line drive single into center field to score Christian Cogdill. Wyatt Burns then pushed the lead to 5-1 when he scored on a wild pitch.
In the third inning Cloudland got one run back. Gouge again started things with a ground ball to the gap on the right side. Tristen Lowery put him on third with a line drive up the middle. Gouge then scored on a double steal.
North Greene stretched the lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the third frame. Tyler Britton was hit by a pitch to start the side and Duffy knocked him home with triple that he pinned in the left-field corner.
Things really got away from the Highlanders in the fourth inning when Gouge hit three of the first four batters of the frame. The only reprieve from the plunkings was an infield error. Britton then sent a fly ball to centerfield that was dropped and another run crossed. Two more runs crossed on bases-loaded walks.
Gaby knocked in two runs when he dropped a single into right field. Duffy and Gaby each scored on wild pitches and then Wyatt Burns split the left-center gap with a two-run double that pushed the lead to 16-2.
North Greene earned six hits on Monday. Duffy had a triple while Cogdill and Burns both had a double.
Britton threw the final frame with one strikeout, one walk and no hits allowed.
The Huskies and Cloudland will be back in action on Tuesday in Carter County.
