Farragut duo no-hit LCHS
Ryan Hagenow, Farragut sophomore pitcher, fields a bunt and throws out a Lenoir City baserunner during this District 4-AAA game at FHS’s John Heatherly Field Friday, April 20. Hagenow’s four innings of no-hit pitching helped produce a 13-0 win.
Throw in 13 hits — including a nine-run, nine-hit fourth inning — and Farragut ran away with a 13-0 five-inning home victory Friday evening, April 20, at John Heatherly Field.
Adding two other District 4-AAA home victories in a seven-day span — 11-10 versus rival Hardin Valley Academy and 8-5 against Knoxville Catholic, and FHS was within one district victory of wrapping up yet another 4-AAA regular season title (10-2, 26-6 overall starting the week).
About Hagenow, Admirals skipper Matt Buckner said, “He’s young, he’s 15 years old, and he’s had some struggles here and there. But he came out (versus LCHS) and was clean, threw some good breaking balls. He’s going to be a really good one.”
“My stuff felt pretty good today,” Hagenow said. “Every time I go out I just try to trust my defense as much as I possibly can. I know how good the athletes are behind me. I just try to throw it in the zone and see what my defense can do for me.”
Hagenow said he’s learned “to try and not overpower guys, try to stick with what I do best.”
In recent weeks, Buckner said his Admirals “are playing better defense. … And we’ve been swinging it really well for going on the better part of three or four weeks.
“We’re having some consistency up and down our lineup right now, which is really good,” he added. “We’re playing consistent baseball. I feel like we’re starting to do the right things.”
Individually on offense, “Parker Noland’s been unbelievable all year,” Buckner said about his junior third baseman. “He’s hit the ball like crazy. And Jerry Hammons and Paul (Komistek) lately has been really good.”
Noland ended the game with two singles, an RBI and two runs scored.
“At the beginning (of the season) we weren’t really playing as a team. But now we’re playing as a team, and we’ve gotten progressively better,” said Hammons, who smacked a two-run homer in the first inning and also added a single.
A transfer from Knoxville Christian School, Komistek said about playing Class AAA baseball, “it’s been an adjustment, for sure, but it’s been a great learning experience and it’s really benefitted me as a baseball player.”
The senior right fielder had a double and RBI single, and scored three runs.
Ashton King, FHS junior shortstop, connected for an RBI double to deep center field — and had a apparent triple to right-center field — but was called out for stepping out of the batter’s box.
Ryan McCarthy pinch hit and became a big part of the nine-run fourth inning.
His two-RBI double made the score 9-0.
Another pinch hitter, Tyler Kim, produced an RBI single making the score 11-0.
Three more pinch hitters contributed in the fourth. Jake Evans singled, Cooper Mashburn added a sacrifice fly RBI and Jackson Lovelace walked.
Nick Barnes connected for an RBI single in the fourth, while earlier adding a sacrifice fly RBI.
Grenkoski added a bunt single.
Myles McFerran had a single, an RBI groundout and scored two runs.
Pinch-runner Tanner Corum scored a run.
Though the Panthers stayed winless in district play (0-11), first-year head coach Dustin Langley pointed out his young team — four starting freshman and two sophomores — “has played a lot of teams tough in this district.
“We went 10 innings with Heritage, they beat us 2-0,” he added. “Had Hardin Valley 4-1 the other night through four or five innings” before losing.
“We’re going to get there, I’ve got faith in them.”
