Dawged in 10
Admirals’ 15-game streak ends at BHS
KNOXVILLE — Northing has been easy for Bearden’s baseball team this season and Monday night’s victory was no exception.
The Bulldogs were on top at the end of their 8-7 victory in 10 innings April 24 over rival Farragut before a packed and spirited house at Phil Garner Ballpark.
Bearden [13-16-1 overall, 6-7 in District 4-AAA after the win] clinched victory when Nate Adkins scored on a throwing error. It was BHS’s lone lead of the game.
“This was an incredibly long game and this win is huge for us.” said Adkins, who started the game-winning rally with a two-out single and advanced to second when Brandon Trammell was intentionally walked. He stole third and scored on the errant throw.
“This is a good way to be heading into the district tournament. We’ve won our last three district games down the stretch and they’ve been over West, Maryville and Farragut ...,” Atkins added.
The Ads, who saw their 15-game winning streak end, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Carson Wright led off with an infield single and scored on a wild pitch.
Keith Gabrielson’s RBI single knotted things in the bottom of the frame before Wright’s scoring double gave FHS [26-5, 11-2] a 2-1 lead in the top of the second.
The Ads extended their advantage to 5-1 in the third thanks to an RBI single by Jake Grooms and a pair of Bearden errors.
Gabrielson, Bearden’s starting first baseman who would eventually pick up the win in relief, had a two-run single in the fifth after Trammell knocked in a run with a double. The lead was cut to 5-4.
FHS went up 6-4 on Zach Yunger’s solo homer in the fourth.
Bearden made it 6-6 in the fifth on David Beam’s homer and Jacob Balsey’s fielder’s choice.
Farragut went ahead in the top of the eighth when Jake Hagenow scored on a wild pitch.
Bearden tied it with two outs in the eighth. Clark Poynter singled, took second on a walk, stole third and scored on an error.
“We didn’t hit well, we didn’t field well and we didn’t pitch well except for [Landon] Smiddy,” FHS head coach Matt Buckner said. “We didn’t deserve to win.”
Smiddy was tagged with the loss despite having six strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.
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