Greeneville’s baseball team “squeezed” out a 4-3 win over Providence Academy Wednesday evening at Dale Alexander Field.
Both teams finished with six hits, but the Greene Devils made the most of their lone extra-base hit.
Kaine Ricker sparked the sixth-inning rally with a one-out triple into the right-center field gap. Colton Smith followed with a safety squeeze, dropping a bunt toward the first baseman, who fired home in an attempt to cut down Ricker. The throw was late, allowing the go-ahead run to score.
“The bats were kind of slow today in the cold,” said Ricker. “I just got a good pitch to hit and put it in play.”
Even Ricker had some doubts when the squeeze was called.
“When I saw the sign, I was like, ‘Man, I’m really tired and I don’t know if I can score this,’ but I just gave it everything I had on such a good bunt.”
Tegan Begley, Will Harmon, Maddox Bishop, Jacob Ward and Jaxon Winter each added a single for Greeneville. Cole Blanton led Providence with a double and scored twice.
Providence struck first in the top of the opening inning when Finn Moss singled to center, driving in Blanton, who had drawn a leadoff walk. Greeneville answered in the bottom half, tying the game when Bishop lifted a sacrifice fly to left with the bases loaded, scoring Grayson Crosby.
The Knights regained the lead in the fourth. Charlie Walker reached on a two-out single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Marcus Stine RBI single to make it 2-1.
Greeneville answered again in the bottom of the inning. Bishop led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a Ricker groundout to tie the game. Smith followed with a walk and Ward singled, moving both runners into scoring position on a wild pitch. Winter then drove in Smith with a groundout to give the Greene Devils a 3-2 lead.
Providence tied the game in the fifth on an RBI single by Nash Martinez, setting up Greeneville’s late-game heroics.
Starter Sam Thompson allowed six hits over five innings, striking out two and walking one, but did not factor in the decision.
Silar Lewis and Harmon shut down Providence over the final two innings. Lewis earned the win, tossing 1 1/3 innings without allowing a baserunner, while Harmon recorded the final two outs for the save. Hudson Harwood took the loss, allowing one run on two hits over two innings of relief.
Greeneville, now 8-1 on the year, travels to Knoxville on Thursday to face Farragut. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
