Signal Mountain shortstop Garrett Hensley tags out Grundy County runner Chandler Knight as he tries to make it back to second during their District 7-AA prep baseball game Tuesday at Signal Mountain High School in Signal Mountain.It was cold for a spring afternoon — 42 degrees and a stiff wind forcing fans into heavy coats and under blankets and quilts — so the scene wasn’t necessarily conducive to baseball or a pitchers’ duel.
Yet in a key District 7-AA game and snow showers earlier in the day having abated, winter weather and the pitching duel were the main courses. Senior Grant Hensley got the best of Grundy County and sophomore starter Houston Mainord, allowing Signal Mountain’s Eagles to escape with a 3-2 win.
The victory allowed the host Eagles to move within a game of the district-leading Yellow Jackets, and the two will play again today in Coalmont.
“It’s the rubber match tomorrow, and I guess it’s for first place, although I’m not dead certain of that,” Signal coach Bumper Reese said. “This was a big win, though. We always play each other close and I knew it was going to be a tight game. It always is against them.”
Signal didn’t put it away until the bottom of the seventh with two outs. The hard-fought deciding run came on a pair of errors. Walter Gailmard reached on a throwing error, stole second and then scored the winner on a second infield error.