Diamond Ads rally past Owls
A big sixth inning propelled Farragut High School’s baseball team to victory on Senior Day Saturday, April 29.
The Admirals, who have had their share of offensive troubles recently, got well in time to beat a tough Ooltewah team on a hot afternoon.
“We’ve been a little snakebit all week,” Farragut head coach Matt Buckner said after his squad nabbed a 12-5 win over the Owls in a match-up of two of Tennessee’s top-5 teams at John Heatherly Field/The Ballpark in Farragut. “Baseball has been tough on us this week.
“It had been good to us for a long time before things started to go bad.”
The Admirals [28-6 staring the week and the top-ranked team in the most recent coaches poll] knocked off the fourth-ranked Owls less than 24 hours after dropping a 3-2 decision to District 3-AAA co-champion Gibbs during annual Admirals Throwback Night Friday, April 28.
Early on Saturday, it looked as though the Admirals would continue to struggle. But things took a sudden turn against Ooltewah [24-6] in the bottom of the sixth.
The Owls entered the inning holding a 5-3 advantage.
But Jake Grooms led off the frame with a walk before seldom used senior Kevin McCarthy drew a base-on-balls. Carson Wright then walked to load the bases before Justen Freeman tied the game with a two-run double that plated Grooms and McCarthy.
One out later, an RBI single by Parker Noland and an Owls error gave the Admirals a 7-5 lead.
Wild pitches and bases-loaded walks helped Farragut build its lead before Freeman provided the final blow with his second two-run double of the inning.
“We hit a rough patch this week,” said Freeman, who had three extra-base hits [including his first home run of the 2017 season] and knocked in five runs. “I’m hoping that this will help us turn this thing around a little bit and get some momentum heading into the [District 4-AAA] Tournament.”
“Free[man] had been chasing that [home run] all year. And it was great to see Kevin come in and have some success,” Buckner said. “He’s a great kid and does everything that he’s supposed to do.
“I went up there and I was trying to get a hit,” McCarthy said. “I didn’t get a hit but I was able to get on base. I’m happy that I contributed but this was about a lot more than just me. I was just a small piece of the puzzle.”
Wright singled to lead off the first inning but he got picked off. Freeman and Jake Hagenow were both hit by pitches. Ooltewah starter Daniel Willie escaped damage as Noland flew out and Zach Yunger grounded to second.
“We had a guy picked off first and those are the kinds of things that have been happening to us lately,” Buckner said.
Farragut did take a 1-0 lead in the second when an RBI single by Grooms plated Cade Burkey, who singled to lead off the inning.
The Owls scored three in the top of the third.
Yunger’s RBI double made it 3-2 in the bottom of the frame.
The Owls added a run in the fifth before Freeman’s homer made the score 4-3.
Ooltewah’s Austin Spurgeon homored in the top of the sixth.
Reliever Brad Grenkoski closed the game by striking out the side in the seventh after surrendering a single.
