McCallie knocked out with two losses

May 21, 2015 at 1:00 a.m. | Updated May 21, 2015 at 12:09 a.m.

by Ward Gossett

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LEBANON, Tenn. -- McCallie just couldn't put the sting of a frustrating winners-bracket final behind, and it cost the Blue Tornado a shot at defending their 2014 Division II-AA baseball state championship.

The Blue Tornado, trying to rebound from a crushing 3-2 loss to perennial state power Christian Brothers, all but collapsed later in the day Wednesday, falling 11-2 to Briarcrest Christian.

That sting earlier in the day was a called third strike on a pitch across the plate but about four inches above it. It came with a Blue Tornado jammed on each bag, two outs and a 3-2 count.

McCallie pitching coach Robert Long raced from the dugout and head coach Greg Payne also had a few words -- that probably weren't encouraging or congratulatory -- for the umpire who made the strike call.

Afterward, Payne didn't want to specifically address the call, what he had to say or how the umpire replied. He did, however, share a postgame exchange with Christian Brothers coach Buster Kelso.

"It's bad when the other coach apologizes," Payne said.

McCallie tied that game at 2, but the Purple Wave pushed across a run in the top of the seventh. The Blue Tornado gave it their all but the critical call ended their game, and eventually their run.

"We had our chances," Payne said. "I know at one point we had a runner at third with less than two outs and didn't get him in. That could've been the difference, too."

Palmer Steventon had four strikeouts and held Christian Brothers to six hits, one more than McCallie managed.

"He was amazing in his first start for us," Payne said of Steventon. "He has been our long-relief, go-to guy. I never had any qualms about putting him in with the bases loaded and one or even no outs."

Ethan Cady was 2-for-3 with both RBIs for McCallie. William Korn also had two hits and scored both runs.

"Baseball really is a game of inches," Payne said, likely with the final call still clawing at his insides. "One of those balls he hit -- no more than a foot and it would've been a home run instead of a double."

McCallie just had no answer for Briarcrest, the team it dropped into the losers bracket, in its second Wednesday game.

Briarcrest scored eight runs in the first three innings while Blake Smith was hurling a complete game.

Cady was 2-for-4 with another RBI, and Alex Taylor had two hits as well.

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.

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