Silverdale Baptist catcher Ian Reagan locked in with Sebastian Hanks to shut the door in Tuesday's 7-6 road victory over Boyd Buchanan.
The Seahawks' battery retired the final two batters swinging with nasty low and away curve balls to hang on to a key district win.
Reagan starred at the plate, driving in four runs - which came on a suicide squeeze, a two-run double down the left field line and an opposite field line drive single.
"Ian's presence behind the plate is incredible," Silverdale Baptist coach Lance Rorex said. "He could go 0-for-4 at the plate, but who he is as our catcher and leader on the field outweighs anything else. He puts on a clinic every time he's out there. His communication is unbelievable, he controls the run game and he calls every pitch. What he does with the bat is just extra for this team."
For the second season in a row the Seahawks have started 10-0, but this year's group appears more complete.
In last season's hot start Silverdale's pitching staff allowed 5.8 runs per game. This time around, the pitching staff has allowed only 22 runs total.
Sophomore Maddox Jones entered the bottom of the seventh with a two-hit shutout.
With Reagan's game-calling mixed with strong outings from Turner Junkins (4-0, 1.56 ERA, 29 strikeouts), Brody Lamb, Corey Clift along with Jones and Hanks, the Seahawks have the arms to pair with a lethal lineup that has produced 9.3 runs per game and 17 home runs.
"I love working with my pitchers and they have been throwing great all season," Reagan said. "My favorite thing to do is get extra strikes for my pitchers, keep strikes strikes, block balls in the dirt and throw runners out. It's really come together for me behind the plate."
Boyd Buchanan (4-4) fought back in its final at-bat, which included an opposite field grand slam by sophomore Brodie Johnston, a Vanderbilt commitment. The Buccaneers received a warning as the budding star flipped his bat more than 7-feet high in the air, which is not allowed by TSSAA rules.
Silverdale's Bryson Cline made a key diving play at shortstop in the final inning, while Hanks earned the save. Junior Brett Rogers - who is batting .500 (18-for-36) with 11 stolen bases on the season - was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four stolen bases.
"Brett is one of the best hitters I have ever been around and he's worked really hard to get to where he is," Rorex said. "And what he does on the bases is equivalent to what Ian does behind the plate. He and all of our guys care about getting better each and every day. They are on a mission and I am proud of the way they play the game."
> Sale Creek 12, Rockwood 5: Drew Hillian, Javan O'Kelley and Cristian Moreno all homered for the Panthers (12-0) who had 17 hits. Garrett Pickett, Camden Penny and Jakob Elrod combined for 10 strikeouts over six combined shutout innings.
> Bradley Central 7, Rhea County 2: Karter Howard homered and drove in four runs for the Bears whose Jasper Flowers struck out 10 over six innings.
> Sonoraville 7, Rockmart 3: Trevor Childers allowed six hits and two earned runs while striking out five in handing Rockmart its first Region 6-AAA loss. Zach Lyles hit a three-run homer in the fifth while Kannon England also knocked in a run for the 11-5, 6-1 Phoenix.
> Heritage 10, Ridgeland 0: Zach Barrett struck out five and allowed three hits in the five-inning Region 7-AAAA win for the Generals (12-7, 5-2). Cannon Stafford had two hits, one a homer, and drove in two runs, Brady Chandler went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs, Gage Shaver had two hits and an RBI and J.C. Armour drove in three runs for Heritage.
> Dade County 10, Chattooga 2: Brodie Swader went five innings and allowed four hits and struck out seven for the Wolverines (10-8, 2-5 in Region 7-AA), who also got two hits each from Braylin Sullivan and Eli Kimball.
> Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 6, Adairsville 5 (8): Jacob Gregg scored the eventual game-winning run on Gabe Helton's RBI single in the top of the eighth. Gregg also added a homer and single, while Will Carroll had two homers among his three hits and Helton went 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Tanner Mantooth went the final three innings and allowed no hits or runs to get the win for the Warriors (9-7, 3-2 in Region 6-AAA).
> Ringgold 9, Coahulla Creek 5: The Tigers (9-9, 6-1) won the Region 6-AAA game with six runs in the sixth inning, including Ross Norman's two-run double. Norman had three hits, with Connor Christopher and Mason Parker each adding two hits. Trevor Headrick and Darian Monteaugudo each hit a homer and drove in two runs for the Colts.
> Northwest Whitfield 15, Southeast Whitfield 0: Cade Fisher allowed a hit and struck out six in the four-inning game. Keaton McQuaig was 3-for-4 with two homers, five RBIs and three runs scored while Aidan Hosford, Zander Frady and Brayden Morrison each drove in two runs for the Bruins (9-9, 3-4 in Region 7-AAAA).
> Cass 2, Calhoun 0: Hayden Cole shut down the Yellow Jackets (13-4, 3-2) in the Region 6-AAAAA contest on six hits while striking out eight. Jacob Tolson and Andon Lewis had two hits each for Calhoun.
SOFTBALL
> Walker Valley 16, Ooltewah 9: The Lady Owls had 16 hits, but eight errors proved costly against a Lady Mustang group led by Madilyn Kidd, who was 3-for-4 with a homer and five RBIs and Sierra Brown, who also homered and had three RBIs. Jaycee Holt, Brooklyn Smith, Alex Haynes and Kaylee Wilson all had three hits for Ooltewah.
> McMinn County 4, Cleveland 3: Reagan Wade hit a walk-off double while Lexi Cooley had three hits and scored twice in the Lady Cherokees' win.
> Soddy-Daisy 11, Hixson 1: Ryli Renfro hit two solo home runs while three different Lady Trojans had triples to back Taylor Lloyd who struck out seven over four innings.
TENNIS
> Hixson swept East Ridge, 9-0, in boys' and girls' matches. Xander Benson did not allow a point in his singles win, while Noah Smith won a 9-8 (3) nailbiter against Anthony Copeland. Hixson's doubles duo of Benson and Maverick French won 8-6 over Nick Strejic and John Britt.
The Lady Wildcats were led by Samantha Paik who won 8-0 while No. 1 seed Brentlea Rodgers won 8-5 over Fidela Aquilar.