Cyclones send Tigers back to the Smokies Elizabethton downs Pigeon Forge 4-2 to keep title hopes alive
Published 5:16 pm Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cyclone pitcher Evan Carter sets to deliver a pitch to the plate.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Pigeon Forge baserunner Logan Harbin beats Matthew Dailey’s tag at third as the ball arrives late for the tag.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Evan Carter of Elizabethton pulls into second base with a standup double.
Star Photo/Ivan Sander Cyclone catcher Karson Dillard uses both hands to make sure the ball doesn’t pop out of his mitt after catching a high pop foul at home plate.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton third baseman Matthew Dailey prepares to fire a toss to first base to retire a Pigeon Forge baserunner.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Nico Ashley slides head first into second base on a steal for the Cyclones.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Head coach Ryan Presnell talks over what he wants to do with his baserunners and his batter Evan Carter.
MURFREESBORO— When it’s do or die time, the Elizabethton Cyclones have no fear of doing what it takes to stay alive.
That was proved again Wednesday morning in the TSSAA Spring Fling baseball championships as the Cyclones plated two runs in the top of the sixth to go ahead 4-2 and held off Pigeon Forge to gain a 5 pm CST game against the loser of the Nolensville and Covington game that was played immediately after the mornings first game.
Both teams came out of the gate swing as Elizabethton scored twice in the top of the first as Karson Dillard walked and advanced to second on a single by Jaden Anderson.
Evan Carter grounded into a fielder’s choice that allowed both Cyclone runners to advance a base.
One of the hottest Cyclone batters in Bryson Rollins promptly delivered a short-field fly ball single that plated Dillard to make it 1-0 Cyclones.
Anderson came home on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Matthew Dailey to give Elizabethton the early 2-0 advantage.
The Tigers made the most of their at-bats in the bottom half of the inning as Logan Harbin worked Carter for a walk and Mr. Baseball Noah Gent laced a single to left field and took second on the throw putting runners at second and third with no outs.
A ground out from Hunter Monday sent Harbin to the plate to slice the lead to 2-1. Carter struck out Matthew Rollar before walking Justin McClellan putting runners on the corners.
McClellan broke for second and an error on Rollins sent Gent home to even the score at 2-all.
From that point, both Carter and Monday settled in and pitched solidly until the sixth inning when Monday ran into trouble.
Monday had two fly-ball outs before Nico Ashley, who has already smacked two base hits against Monday in the game, stepped to the dish.
Ashley caught the Tiger defense playing too deep and laid down a perfect bunt down the first base line and using his long legs beat out the throw to the bag.
Ashley swiped second base and Dillard drew his second walk.
Monday had to be lifted against Anderson with a 2-1 count due to pitch count and the Tigers went with Gent.
Gent’s first pitch was a strike to Anderson, but Anderson won the battle by pulling a ball to right field that allowed Ashley to get on his horse and score all the way from second base.
Dillard came around to third on the throw.
Carter then lasered a pitch to Pigeon Forge’s second baseman who bobbled the ball allowing Carter to beat the throw and Dillard to score giving the Cyclones a 4-2 edge.
Carter then went back to work on the mound and worked a one-two-three bottom of the sixth inning to set up one last showdown.
The Cyclones got two quick outs in the bottom of the seventh on a ground out and a pop out. Carson Catlett came on in a pinch-hitting role and slapped a single to right field.
Caleb Hughes followed up Catlett’s single with one of his own to give life to the Tigers.
With two outs and Harbin up to bat and Gent in the on-deck circle, Carter enticed Harbin into a high pop up down the first-base line that was corralled by Cyclone first baseman Cooper Tipton for the final out.
Elizabethton rapped out seven hits in the contest as Ashley’s three hits from the nine hole led the charge. Anderson finished with a 2-for-4 effort while Carter and Rollins added one apiece.
Carter went the distance allowing two runs on four hits walking three and striking out five Tiger hitters to make it 99 strikeouts on the season. The junior showed a lot of resilience as he wasn’t feeling very well but did an outstanding job in battling for his team.
Ashley was asked if the ball looked as big as a watermelon in the game in regards to his 3-for-3 performance.
“I just saw it really well,” Ashley said. “I have been in a little bit of a slump lately but it was just a fun day today and I knew I just had to get the job done.
“I knew that the third baseman was playing really far back on the bunt and so was the right side of the infield and he threw me one outside and I tried to push bunt it to second and it worked perfect.”
The win was a great wedding anniversary gift to Cyclone head coach Ryan Presnell and his wife, Sarah, who were celebrating their 15th anniversary and their second straight at the TSSAA Spring Fling.
“We have talked about it several times how I have had to adjust to them this year and I am okay with that because I kind of like how these kids are,” said Presnell. “They just go about their business and are very professional and collegiate in nature.
“Are guys just kind of chill over here and sit in the shade and watch everything going on and it has been really impressive to watch this little baseball club that has faced so much adversity just absolutely hang in there with the best in the state.
“I’m super proud of them.”
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TSSAA SPRING FLING CLASS AA BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Elizabethton, 4-2
Elizabethton 200 002 0 – 4 7 2
Pigeon Forge 200 000 0 – 2 4 1
WP: Carter. LP: Monday.
