Ooltewah’s Garrett Baugh pitched a shutout Monday, and teammate Quade Campbell wasn’t going to be outdone Tuesday.
The Ooltewah senior gave up a sixth-inning hit but officially wound up with a no-hitter and a 1-0 District 5-AAA win over Soddy-Daisy. Andrew Mayfield’s first-inning home run was the difference.
The game at Ooltewah was called with two outs in the bottom of the sixth because of severe fog, thus reverting to the last completed inning.
Campbell (4-1) had a perfect game until he walked a batter in the fifth. He gave up his no-hitter in the sixth on a Cris Manka double to left-center, but that was wiped off the scorebooks when the game was called.
“He’s had good games. His only loss was 2-1 to Bradley and Cole Brands on a squeeze bunt,” Ooltewah coach Brian Hitchcox said. “This was his fifth start, and although he has pitched well in each, I think this was his best.”
The victory gave Ooltewah the inside track to the top seed for the district tournament.
“It puts us in a good position. We control our own destiny,” said Hitchcox, whose Owls have an 8-2 district record with games Monday and Tuesday against McMinn County.
The Owls had put three insurance runs up in the bottom of the sixth before the game was called by umpire Bill Elliott.
“It was getting too dangerous. He wanted to get both coaches’ input, but we have to ensure the players’ health,” Hitchcox said.
“I absolutely have no problem with his decision,” Soddy-Daisy coach Jared Hensley said. “It’s unfortunate. Losing and making that call wasn’t nearly as tough as telling 24 guys they don’t get to see the end of the game.”
The fog started rolling in during the third inning, and by the bottom of the sixth Elliott told both coaches he could not see two of the three Soddy-Daisy outfielders.
The one run that counted came early as Trojans pitcher Adam Hodges, on one of the few mistakes he made, got a little too much strike zone on Mayfield. The senior launched a 1-1 pitch high and deep over the fence in left-center.
“Hodges left a curveball up a little and Andrew got hold of it,” Hitchcox said. “But Andrew has been on a tear. That was his third homer in the last three games.”
Soddy-Daisy had a handful of good swings on Campbell but left with nothing to show for it.
“You have to give him credit,” Hensley said. “We hit some balls pretty well but they were right at people, and we didn’t get any kind of break.”
Hodges finished with a four-hitter. He was lifted in the sixth after taking a hard-hit line drive off the bat of Baugh.
“He pitched well. Both of them did,” Hensley said.