Young arms excel, Ads offense scores 61 runs in 6 games to win Gulf Shores Classic
GULF SHORES, Ala. — Supposedly going through somewhat of a rebuilding season, especially its pitching staff, Farragut High School’s baseball Admirals traveled to Alabama last week and dominated the 30-team Gulf Shores Classic.
Freshman and sophomore pitchers figured prominently in the team’s championship ride.
“In six games we scored 61 runs and had 61 hits,” Admirals skipper Matt Buckner said about a 6-0 sweep over four days to begin the 2017 season.
“Ashton King played exceptionally well defensively at shortstop,” Buckner said about the sophomore.
An 11-1 championship game victory against St. Benedict [Memphis] Thursday, March 16, featured winning pitcher Parker Noland, a sophomore, who belted 14 RBI during the classic.
Chandler Chambers, senior outfielder, went 4-for-4 including a triple and a double Thursday.
A 10-3 victory versus Bob Jones High School, Madison, Ala., saw Carson Wright, senior outfielder, and Jake Grooms, senior infielder, each go 3-for-3 earlier Thursday. Grooms smacked a pair of doubles. Noland had four RBI with only one hit. Winning pitcher was junior Cade Burkey.
Sliding past Athens, Ala. 3-1 Wednesday, March 15, Farragut’s winning pitcher was Owen Kovacs. The sophomore allowed no earned runs and just one hit in six innings with five strikeouts.
A 7-3 win against Tishomingo, Ala. Tuesday, March 14, saw senior Zach Yunger rip a home run plus a triple.
Winning pitcher Ryan Hagenow, a freshman, allowed no earned runs in four innings. Brad Day, a senior, worked three innings to earn a save.
The Admirals crushed East Webster, Miss. 13-2 Monday, March 13. Freshman pitcher Drew Patterson allowed no earned runs in five innings of work. Grooms had two hits including a double, while Jake Hagenow, senior catcher, added a triple.
Farragut opened play with a convincing 17-3 win against Randolph School, Huntsville, Ala., Monday. Winning pitcher Zach Joyce, a junior, went three innings. Reliever Landon Smiddy, a sophomore, allowed no runs in two innings. Chambers and Jake Hagenow each had two hits.
