Pitching dominates Armed Forces Night, but errors help Ads slip past HVA 4-1
Ryan Hagenow was simply dominant Monday night, April 1.
Hagenow, a 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher, nearly had a no-hitter in Farragut High School’s 4-1 victory over Hardin Valley Academy in a District 4-AAA baseball game on “Armed Forces Night” at FHS’ John Heatherly Field in the Ballpark at Farragut.
“I throw three pitches,” said Hagenow, a junior who tossed six innings and lost his no-hitter when Jaylen Jones singled with nobody out in the Hawks’ final at-bat in the seventh inning. “My slider was my go-to pitch on 0-2.”
Hagenow (3-1) exited the contest after Jones reached base and had to settle for a combined victory, as reliever Ashton King, a senior, recorded the last three outs.
“I felt pretty good and my stuff was working,” Hagenow said after surrendering one run, one hit and five walks while striking out nine. “My stuff was really working and my defense really gives me confidence.
“I just throw it, let them hit it and let my defense make plays.”
Farragut (14-2 overall, 5-0 in the district) played errorless ball, and head coach Matt Buckner said the Admirals used their “formula” for victory.
“Ryan was just really good tonight, and we’re a pitching and defense team,” Buckner said. “We had some timely hitting. That’s our formula for winning.
“We were able to scratch out a few runs late. We had some chances early where we really should’ve scored,” he added.
Three of Farragut’s runs were unearned as Hardin Valley (6-6, 2-3) committed three errors, including two on one play that resulted in the first run of the game in the bottom of the third.
King led off the frame with a walk, then came home when HVA pitcher Bryce Jenkins failed to convert a force play. He air-mailed the ball to center field where it got away from Jared Lugo. King scored on the play, while batter Parker Noland made it to third.
Farragut went up 4-0 in the fifth. Noland started the rally with a one-out double, then scored when Hunter Merrick reached on an error. Cooper Mashburn and Ryan McCarthy also had RBI singles.
Jenkins threw a complete game. He gave up seven hits and four walks while fanning nine Admirals.
“Ryan threw really well but our guy did too,” Hawks head coach Tyler Roach said. “These are the two best pitchers in the city, no doubt.
“But we made three errors, and tonight we beat ourselves,” he added. “We’ve had six losses and every one of them have looked like that. We’ve beaten ourselves. We have to learn to throw and catch the ball.
“When we do that, we’ll be an elite team.”
