No. 1 Ads hosts No. 3 Hawks Wednesday; both win decisively
BLOUNT COUNTY — Though Farragut baseball has been a juggernaut in terms of talent and success the past two seasons, senior Michael Delph was a one-man Admirals wrecking crew on the road against Maryville Monday evening, April 1.
On the mound, Delph started and blanked the Red Rebels (2-3 in District 4-4A) in six innings of work, allowing just one hit and three walks with four strikeouts.
At the plate, the Ads’ No. 5 hitter connected for two singles and had two RBI in an 8-0 Farragut win. Improving the team’s district record to a perfect 6-0, the win also gave head coach Matt Buckner’s boys — ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association as two-time defending state champs — its 10th win in a row after an ultra successful weekend trip to yet another prestigious tourney, this one in Hoover, Alabama.
While Ads reliever Braxton Lewis, a senior, closed things out in the MHS seventh by going three-up, three down with one strikeout, many other FHS players contributed.
Scoreless entering the top of the third inning, a leadoff double by senior left fielder Charlie Bozeman was followed by a bunt single by junior second baseball Cole Draper. Leadoff hitter Lukas Buckner reached on an infield error, but the star senior shortstop and Mississippi State signee was credited with an RBI.
Landis Davila’s RBI single made it 2-0 in the third, as the senior right fielder and Mississippi State signee took second on the throw home. Davila, however, saw his night end after sliding head-first into third base on a steal. A dislocated finger had the senior going to the bench, replaced by sophomore Aidan Flagg.
A sacrifice fly by senior third baseman Jake Merrick upped the Farragut advantage to 3-0.
A four-run Admirals fifth inning came after the first two FHS batters were retired on two pitches.
Buckner walked, then Flagg singled and Merrick was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Evans and Delph each drew RBI walks, making it 5-0, before senior center fielder Brennon Siegler, a Tennessee Vols signee, laced a two-RBI single making it 7-0.
Farragut, which will host the state’s No. 3-ranked Hardin Valley Academy Hawks at John Heatherly field beginning at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 3, scored its final run in the seventh when senior first baseman Eli Evans, leading off with a double, scored on Delph’s RBI single.
