Kureshi-Smith delivers win for Ads in wild home opener
Still, Kureshi-Smith kept his eyes peeled for another opportunity. It arrived with another wild pitch, which sent McElvain into a scramble and, eventually, an overthrow of pitcher Kyson Barney.
That left a perfect window for the player nicknamed “Turbo,” who sprinted home and slid across the plate to deliver a 4-3 victory after a rollercoaster eight innings in the Admirals’ home opener on March 6.
“I was just a little hesitant because of the first one,” Kureshi-Smith said of the wild pitches, his hair mussed after teammates bombarded him at the plate. “The ball bounced off a little weird. And all our players can hit it hard, so I didn’t want to give myself up.”
His two-out test in patience proved effective, as Kureshi-Smith utilized the same split-second decision-making that helps him as a defensive back in football.
When the move paid off, it solidified a dramatic comeback that featured two different Farragut comebacks with a three-run output in the final frame.
The latter deficit was particularly tense, as a two-out, two-run bomb from McElvain in the top half of the eighth all but silenced the home dugout.
Despite trailing 3-1, the Admirals remained composed and went to work.
With one out in the bottom of the inning, Travis Brummitt Jr. reached first on a hit-by-pitch. FHS coach Garrett Copeland subbed Micah Fretwell to pinch-run, and he advanced to third as Caleb Van Lant worked a walk.
By the time Neyland Williams struck out swinging, Fretwell had advanced to third with Van Lant still on first.
Only then did Kureshi-Smith smash a two-out, two-RBI double to score both, tying the score at 3-all.
“These guys are confident in their abilities, so it helps them relax in those situations,” Copeland said.
“Just get a ball I can hit,” Kureshi-Smith added of his approach. “The experience that I have, I think it helps since I’ve been doing this so long.”
Kureshi-Smith and Van Lant also made diving catches in the third inning, providing plenty of early fireworks in the prep baseball edition of a Pay-Per-View prize fight.
The Nolensville roster is filled with Division I signees, including Oregon State signees Kael and Kyson Barney, Virginia signee Wyatt Clatur and McElvain, a Duke pledge.
With so many college-bound players on Farragut’s roster too, it is no surprise that pro scouts huddled behind the netting well before first pitch.
But on a beautiful spring evening, it was the Admirals who delivered the knockout blow.
“It’s always good to be victorious against a team like that,” Copeland added. “They’re a really good team that will compete for a spot in Murfreesboro, so it’s always good to challenge ourselves against a team like that.”
The Knights provided the perfect early test, as Copeland wanted to prepare his team for a packed district slate and, eventually, a potential fifth-straight 4A state title.
They delivered the first punch too, striking first on an Admiral error in the third inning.
Two innings later, though, a Mason Shelton RBI single scored Williams to tie the score.
The teams remained locked at 1 until the bottom of the seventh when Farragut loaded the bases for a chance to walk it off.
Two straight strikeouts followed, bringing extra innings on a night when FHS finished just 6-of-31 at the plate.
“We need to do better than what we did — got to execute better offensively and have some things to work on,” Copeland said. “But at the end of the day, we were down late and stuck with it and managed a victory.”
The FHS pitching staff gutted through the middle innings, dulling the Knights’ swords during the stalemate. Corey Cole, Will Criner, Joey Ray and Aidan Flagg combined to allow just two hits and three runs, two earned, with four strikeouts.
Flagg picked up the win, and, in total, the Knights came up empty on 25 of 28 at-bats.
Altogether, the staff kept the Admirals on track to diffuse any pressure as the game wore on.
“Our pitching staff did great, gave up two hits over eight innings,” Copeland said. “They competed in the strike zone. To go against a team like that for eight or nine innings and only give up two hits, I think it says a lot about them.“
Now, FHS will look for the same output when it heads to Florida for a Spring Break tournament.
And while there will likely be some beach time carved into the schedule, Copeland also wants to see his team answer the bell like it did on Friday.
“I want to see us respond to the challenges we will face,” he said. “We’re going to face good competition, so we want to toe the line, accept the challenge and meet it head-on.”
