The problem isn’t a new one for the Gordon Lee High School baseball team, but it nevertheless consistently affects the Trojans.
Heavy rains this past week caused West Chickamauga Creek, which runs adjacent to Claude Hendrix Field, to flood. The outfield was underwater for three days, putting the team on cleanup duty instead of being able to practice.
It also caused Saturday’s scheduled nonregion game with Heritage to be hosted by the Generals. Though the Trojans improved to 11-2 with an 6-5 win in eight innings, the rust showed.
“Today wasn’t pretty, but when you find a way to win it’s good,” Gordon Lee coach Mike Dunfee said after recording his 300th career win. “No excuses, but when you don’t practice all week it hurts. They haven’t done much all week except pick up the trash that had collected on the field and in the clubhouse. We have a great facility, but it’s just not in a good spot.”
Eric Beagles’ Generals (10-3), who had also not played since Monday due to the weather, were even rustier, committing six errors that led to five unearned runs. Still, Heritage scored two runs in the seventh to tie on an RBI single from Cade Kiniry and Cannon Stafford’s sacrifice fly.
Gordon Lee won it in the extra inning on Jake Poindexter’s two-out single, scoring Cade Peterson. Cade Cowan had an RBI and scored twice, with Brodie Genter pitching two perfect innings in relief to earn the win. Kiniry was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs, and Alex Mixon had two hits and an RBI for Heritage.
“I don’t think we played very well, but we found a way to win, which is a sign of a good team,” Dunfee said. “They scrapped, and Eric will tell you they didn’t play well either. It was just a sloppy game, but both teams will learn from it.”
LaFayette 4, Coahulla Creek 3: Garrison Fults executed a perfect squeeze bunt to bring home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh in the GHSA Region 6-AAA game. Blane Mann had two hits, Zain Smith scored twice and Nick Adams had an RBI for the Ramblers (7-6, 1-2), who got three innings of two-hit shutout relief from Nick Radtke. For the Colts (2-8, 1-1), Irvin Hernandez was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Ryan Langford had two hits.
Northwest Whitfield 6-2, Pickens 4-7: Will Roper had a two-run double in the sixth inning of game one in the Friday night doubleheader to help lift the Bruins to the Region 7-AAAA win. Cade Fisher, Keaton McQuaig and Aiden Hosford each added RBIs, with Brett Talley earning the win in relief after going 3 1/3 innings and allowing three hits and no runs. Pickens earned the split by scoring five runs in the sixth on two hit batters, two errors and RBI singles by Connor Shouse (3-for-3) and Anthony Antonezzi. Fisher had two hits for Northwest (12-3, 2-1).
Ooltewah 12, Hixson 2: Fisher Perry went 3-for-3 with a home run, three runs and four RBIs. The Owls were also led by Andrew Zettel (two hits, three RBIs), Bryson Smith (two runs, two stolen bases, two RBIs) and winning pitcher Eli Smith, who allowed two earned runs in five innings.
Ooltewah 19, Red Bank 1: The Owls exploded for 14 runs in the first, and Patrick Clarkson had three of the team’s 11 stolen bases. Nicholas Sullivan went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs, and Fisher Perry, William Bolt and Bryson Smith combined for eight strikeouts on the mound.
Grace Academy 19, Arts & Sciences 7: The Golden Eagles were led by Noah Bastian, who went 5-for-5 with four RBIs. Other standouts for Grace included Caleb Adams (4-for-5, three RBIs), Cameron Grace (three hits) and Ramsey Brumlow (two hits, three RBIs).
Maryville Heritage 4, Sequatchie County 1; Halls 4, Sequatchie County 3: Logan Potts had a strong day at the plate with three hits and two RBIs as the Indians lost twice. Anthony Wright was sharp on the mound against Heritage as he struck out seven in six innings, only allowing six baserunners.
Marion County 7, Sale Creek 6: The Warriors scored twice in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off win, with Will Pryor the winning pitcher.
Silverdale Baptist 9, Marion County 2: Brody Lamb and Brett Rogers had two hits apiece as the Seahawks scored three runs in the first and four in the seventh to back winning pitcher Ian Reagan.
SOCCER
Baylor lost two close matchups, 2-1 to Brentwood and 4-3 to Father Ryan, in the Meet in the Middle tournament it hosted along with Houston. Gui Gragnano and Phelipe Speilman each scored twice for the Red Raiders, while Gragnano assisted Spielman and then scored in the 42nd minute for a 3-1 lead over Father Ryan.
TRACK
Dalton’s girls won the Ronnie McClurg/Dalton Rotary Invitational meet with 121 points. The Lady Catamounts received first-place finishes from Meg Coleman (triple jump, 35 feet, 3 inches; 100-meter hurdles 15.93 seconds) and Jocelyn Montalvo (shot put, 35-1), along with the relay teams of Odajah Mitchell, Taejanae Jones, Vyktori Clark, Meg Coleman (4×100) and Casey Mashburn, Andrea Magana, Betsy Perez and Sirena Pridgen (4×800).
Other girls’ first-place finishers in the meet included Cleveland’s Eliana Holliday (long jump, 15-0) and Kategie Casseus (100, 12.58; 200, 26.33), Northwest Whitfield’s Emily Lane (discus, 94-4), Heritage’s Gracie Murray (300 hurdles, 49.82) and Signal Mountain’s Kelsey Thompson (800, 2:29). Signal Mountain finished second with 101 team points, and Cleveland was third with 87.
Cass won the boys’ meet with Dalton second and Heritage third.
Dalton’s Charlie Patrick won the discus at 127-3. Other top finishers included Cleveland’s Ryan Lovelace (800, 2:00), Northwest’s Silas Griffin (high jump, 6-2; triple jump, 38-6), Signal Mountain’s Nate Menzel (shot put, 43-7), Coahulla Creek’s Lane Hollis (3200, 9:44) and Heritage’s Collin Black (400, 53.23).
Compiled by Patrick MacCoon and Lindsey Young. Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon. Contact Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.