McCallie started out like, well, a Tornado, but did little more than an offensive sneeze in the final five innings of its high school baseball game Tuesday against visiting Bradley Central.
But the Blue Tornado's six runs in the first two innings were plenty in a 7-0 victory.
"I liked the start, didn't like the finish," McCallie coach Greg Payne said. "A win is a win and we'll never throw one back."
Most impressive about their start was the six runs the Blue Tornado put up on Tennessee Tech signee Ty King, who was lifted after the second McCallie turn at the plate.
"We came out swinging the bats really well. The first two innings obviously were key, scoring six of the seven runs," Payne said.
After coupling five hits with three walks in the first two innings, McCallie managed only one hit the rest of the way.
"We kind of coasted from there. I did not like our approach after that," Payne said. "We seemed to think that six runs was enough. We changed our approach. A couple of first-pitch outs I didn't like, but you can't be upset about a 7-0 win.
McCallie scored its first three runs with two outs. Corbin Brooksbank beat out a grounder for an infield single, Quinn Smith walked and Matthew Brock brought home the first run with a single to left field. Following a walk to Drew Vaughn, Tyson Buchanan plated two more with a double to left-center.
After McCallie sent eight to the plate in the first inning, William Korn worked King for a walk and stole second in the second Tornado at-bat. Lee signee Tyler Payne followed with a bunt single that pushed Korn to third and then also stole second. Ethan Cady put an exclamation point to the effort with a towering home run to right to boost the Blue Tornado's lead to 6-0.
"It was a pop-up that got a little air under it, so it carried," said Cady, his team's No. 3 batter who now has four round-trippers on the year. "I like the hard liners better."
Their final run came in the fourth on Brock's second hit, a double that scored Cady, who walked and then stole two bases.
When asked if McCallie lost some of its focus after the early lead, Cady said, "If the defense is playing well and the pitchers are throwing strikes, you'll usually be OK."
McCallie turned double plays that curbed potential Bradley rallies in the third and fifth innings.
Still, it isn't the kind of performance that would please Coach Payne, who directed McCallie to the 2014 Division II state championship.
But this team, coming off a 2-2 showing in a weekend Perfect Game tournament in Emerson, Ga., is improving on the pace set by last year's team.
"I think this team has more talent, but we don't have the competitive spirit like last year," Cady said. "We're getting there. We're talking more in the dugout and showing more spirit."
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765.