Warriors ‘throw back’ Oak Ridge 11-1 at FHS
Christian Academy of Knoxville baseball head coach Tommy Pharr wasn’t sure how his players would adjust to wooden bats at the annual Throwback Day.
The Warriors may have endured some offensive struggles early, but their attack would come around and drub Oak Ridge 11-1 Thursday, April 25, at Farragut High School’s John Heatherly Field/The Ballpark at Farragut.
CAK, which has become a regular every year at the event since Pharr became the school’s head coach in 2010, eventually pounded out eight hits in the game, which was called in the bottom of the sixth due to the 10-run mercy rule.
The Warriors (27-6) got five of their hits in the bottom of the fifth when scoring five times.
“When you play with wooden bats, it changes things a little bit,” Pharr said. “It was good to see our guys get some hits late.
“I knew that if our pitchers threw strikes, we would be OK. They threw strikes.”
CAK used six pitchers against the Wildcats (11-17) and each hurler went an inning.
Eli Wilder started and surrendered a run in the first as Oak Ridge scored on an RBI single.
Jackson Scott, Connor Jurek, Bay Griffin, Walker Strange and Cade Quinn each saw time on the mound.
The Warriors took control in the bottom of the frame, scoring three runs with the benefit of just one hit, an RBI single by Cole Campbell that plated Jurek, who drew a walk.
Jesse Osborne, who led off with a base-on-ball, eventually stole four bases and scored twice.
He came home in the first with the help of an Oak Ridge error. The Warriors added another run when Kyle Sparkman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 3-1.
Osborne also led off the second and was plunked. He swiped second and third before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Jacob Tate.
In the fifth, Grant Sterchi had a two-run double and Andrew Kribbs drove in a pair with a single. Hunter Loyd also chipped in with a scoring single.
CAK ended things with two more runs in the sixth.
Proceeds benefit Parkinson’s disease research, “It’s just fun to come out here and play in this game,” Campbell said. “It’s for a good cause.”
