Ooltewah shortstop Andrew Manning fields a grounder during Friday’s extra-inning 6-4 sectional loss to visiting Stewarts Creek.Ooltewah and visiting Stewarts Creek gave the scoreboard all it could handle in a Class AAA baseball state sectional Friday night. The two teams filled all 10 frames on the board with the Red Hawks putting up the final number to take a 6-4 win.
The loss ended the host Owls’ season.
“I think that’s one of the two or three best games I’ve ever coached in, and I’ve been doing this for over 30 years,” Stewarts Creek coach Mike Bartlett said. “Hats off to Ooltewah for making it a great game.”
The Owls (29-7) fired out of the gate with three first-inning runs. Jake Sullivan and Andrew Manning singled in front of pitcher Ethan Walls, who helped himself with a double to score a pair. Jackson Malcolm plated Walls with another single.
The early deficit stirred the Red Hawks (30-8), who had gone quietly in the first. Austin Steele doubled and Maddox VonDohlen walked. Both advanced on a wild pitch, and Corey Perkins followed with an RBI groundout. Brandon Rooney trimmed the deficit back to one with a bloop single.