Cyclones fall to Science Hill in High School League
Published 4:50 pm Wednesday, June 17, 2020
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Star Photo/Dawn Lambert
Cyclone shortstop Bryson Rollins applies a tag to a Home of Daniel Norris baserunner.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert
Cyclone outfielder Cade Russell corrals a fly ball.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert
Cyclone pitcher Ashton Wilson looks a runner back at first base.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert
Former Cyclone and now Texas Ranger Evan Carter throws out the first pitch for Tuesday's contest.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert
Jaden Anderson rounds third base on his way to home plate.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert
Cyclone first baseman Noah Rosato is zeroed in on the pitcher as he awaits a pitch.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert
Cyclone outfielder Elijah Birdsong is in a perfect position to catch a fly ball.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert
A Cyclone outfielder prepares to relay the baseball back to the infield on a ball hit down the first base line.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert
Former Cyclone Evan Carter gives a fist bump to the Cyclone catcher after throwing out the first pitch. Carter was drafted 50th by the Texas Rangers in the recent MLB Draft.
BY ALLEN LAMOUNTAIN
STAR CORRESPONDENT
The Elizabethton Cyclones found early success on Tuesday evening in their Northeast Tennessee High School League clash with Science Hill.
That success was short-lived however as the “Home of Daniel Norris” unleashed a 13-hit attack against four EHS hurlers and took a 12-3 win at Northeast Community Credit Union ballpark.
“We are just looking at guys individually right now,” commented Cyclones head coach Ryan Presnell. “The team game is suffering right now for us because of the pitching aspect.
“We are looking at individual aspects of the baseball game and try to put guys in a position to see what we need to work on in the fall.”
Neither team cracked the scoreboard in the first inning, but Science Hill tallied three runs in the top of the second with a wild pitch bringing home one run.
An infield error let another SHHS run come across and third baseman Jaxon Diamond struck an RBI single to spot lefty starter, Gavin Briggs, a three-run cushion.
Shortstop Jack Torbett was three-for-four with two runs batted in for the Hilltoppers and designated hitter Clayton Ball had a run-scoring double for SHHS and Briggs pitched two scoreless innings striking out five and walking three.
The Cyclones surrendered four more runs in the third with Torbett delivering a two-run single in the stanza.
Zak Workman – a Happy Valley transfer – struggled with control walking four – including two with the bases juiced as Science Hill took a 7-0 lead.
EHS (0-2) rallied for three runs in the last of the frame with Jaden Anderson singling to open the inning. Bryson Rollins doubled and Noah Rosato struck an opposite-field RBI single.
Cooper Tipton and Gage Treadway each struck RBI hits to chase SHHS reliever Caleb Rogers in favor of Jet Swartz.
In the fourth frame, the bottom of the SHHS order struck for four runs with Braden Ramsey and Jake Bedard each driving in a run and leadoff hitter Connor Hyatt delivered a two-run double as Science Hill now led 11-3.
For EHS Rollins finished 1-for-1 with a pair of walks and more importantly showed no ill effects from knee surgery after his MVP performance in the Cyclones state football championship game.
“When facing a 3-A lineup like theirs you have to get ahead in the count,” Presnell said. “You have to throw at least two pitches for strikes.
“We had trouble locating tonight but these guys have not been on a mound in four months. I’m good with the poise we showed. Nobody got rattled and that’s kind of what we have to have, a ballclub that’s tough.”
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Northeast Tennessee High School League
Science Hill, 12-3
Science Hill 034 41 – 12 13 0
Cyclones 003 00 – 3 7 2
W – Briggs. L – Wilson.
