ROGERSVILLE — Both Cherokee and Volunteer stepped out of district competition over the weekend to participate in the Greene Fling (Buddy Hawk Classic) baseball tournament, with mixed results.
The Chiefs went 1-2 as they hosted two days of competition, while the Falcons went 2-1 at different Greene County sites. The tournament, hosted each year by the Town of Greeneville and Greene County Parks and Recreation, features competition at five sites. It benefits the host schools through concession sales and awards scholarship dollars to participating seniors who go on to play college baseball next year.
Cherokee 13, Northview 3
ROGERSVILLE — Cole Putnal homered and drove in four runs to lead the Chiefs to a 13-3 win over Northview Academy on Saturday afternoon at The Reservation.
Porter Owen, subbing for an injured Jacob Brooks in right field, went 2 for 4, scored twice and drove in two runs for the Chiefs. Clay Wagoner, Keaton Lawson and Manning Brooks each had two hits and an RBI for Cherokee. Parker Travis added a hit and an RBI, and Gavin Housewright an RBI for the Chiefs.
Manning Brooks earned the win on the mound, scattering six hits across five innings. He allowed three runs (one earned), walked one and struck out three.
Cherokee scored in spurts with seven in the second and six in the fifth to invoke the mercy rule and end the game with the 10-run lead.
Providence 14, Cherokee 0
ROGERSVILLE —Providence Academy racked up 15 hits, including four home runs — two of them by Rinaldo Matti — to blank the Chiefs 14-0 in Saturday’s final game at Cherokee. Earlier in the day, the Knights beat Harlan County, Kentucky, 17-0.
Aidan Sproles and Josh Owens also homered for the Knights. Sproles hit a three-run blast to left and also doubled, driving in three runs in the game. Owens smacked a two-run homer to complement three scoreless innings of work to start the game on the mound. He allowed two hits, walked one and struck out four.
Mason Emery had two of Cherokee’s four hits. Clay Wagoner and Cole Putnal each had one.
Parker Travis took the loss on the mound, giving nine runs on eight hits with one walk in a disastrous first inning for the Chiefs, despite a promising start.
The Chiefs’ defense erased a leadoff single with a double play to get things rolling. But back-to-back errors followed by back-to-back singles and Sproles’ three-run blast quickly turned the tables. The Knights then put together a string of hits — a double and two singles and Owens’ homer — to extend the lead to 9-0 before Cherokee could get out of the inning. Providence added three in the fourth and two in the fifth to invoke the run rule and end the game after five.
Harlan County 6, Cherokee 4
ROGERSVILLE — Harlan County scored four runs in the fifth and matched the Chiefs with a run in the seventh to take a 6-4 win on Friday night at Cherokee.
Gage Adkins went 2 for 3 with a home run to lead the Chiefs’ offense. Mason Emery doubled and drove in a run. Cole Putnal tripled. Parker Travis added a hit and an RBI. Manning Brooks had the Chiefs’ only other hit.
The Chiefs committed six errors, resulting in just two earned runs for Harlan.
Volunteer 3, North Greene 2
GREENEVILLE — Austin Williams held North Greene to two runs (one earned) on four hits in seven innings of work to lead the Falcons to the 3-2 win on Saturday. He walked four and struck out six.
Volunteer took the 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning when Isaiah Bowery scored on a passed ball.
Anthony Blasini went 2 for 2 with two RBIs to lead Volunteer. Aden Parsons was 1 for 3 with a double. Isaiah Bowery, Greyson Dennis, Gavin Hickernell and Williams each had one hit for Volunteer.
Volunteer 10, Coalfield 6
GREENEVILLE — Volunteer scored five runs on two hits in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 7-2 lead and went on to beat Coalfield 10-6 on Friday.
Anthony Blasini doubled and drove in three runs to pace the Falcons. Brycen Feagins and Isaiah Bowery each had one hit and two RBIs. Connor Haynes and Austin Williams each collected a pair of hits and one RBI. Aden Parsons was 1 for 1 and walked twice.
Gavin Hickernell also had two hits for the Falcons and earned the win on the mound. He threw six innings, allowing six runs on eight hits with five walks and nine strikeouts. Elijah Gordon got the final out to earn the save.
South Greene 2, Volunteer 1
GREENEVILLE — The South Greene Rebels used a pair of singles and a Volunteer error to push a run across the plate in the third inning for the 2-1 lead in a defensive battle on their home field Thursday night.
Luke Armstrong took the loss, despite a strong performance in which he surrendered two unearned runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Austin Williams drove in Volunteer’s only run and finished 1 for 3. Brycen Feagins had two of Volunteer’s five hits. Isaiah Bowery and Greyson Dennis had one each.
Looking ahead
The two Hawkins County rivals will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. at Volunteer’s Joey Seaver Field in a game that will likely decide the No. 2 seed in next week’s District 2-3A baseball tournament.
Both teams head into the final week of regular-season action with a 6-4 league mark. Cherokee must face Grainger (Tuesday) and Volunteer (Thursday). Volunteer will host league-leading Greeneville (Monday) and Cherokee (Thursday) to close out the league slate. Thursday is Alumni Night at Volunteer, with all former players invited to come out to the game.
Volunteer will also host a pair of nonconference games this week with Cocke County on Tuesday and Happy Valley on Friday, which is senior night for the Falcons. Cherokee will wrap up its season with trips to Daniel Boone on Friday and Dobyns-Bennett on Saturday.
The District 2-3A baseball tournament will be held May 1-4 at Tusculum’s Pioneer Park.
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