Cyclones pick up road win over Patriots, 11-7
Published 9:42 am Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Carter Reece fires home a called strike in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Cyclones second baseman Jack Blevins shows good range as he moves to his right on a ground ball.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent J.D. Hooks fields the Patriots' bunt attempt and fires to first to get the runner.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Steven Meadows hits a line-drive grand slam to give the Cyclones a 6-2 lead in the top of the third inning.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Justin Whitehead sends a line drive to left for a base hit.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Cyclones pitcher Bryson Rowland warms up in the bottom of the first inning.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Right fielder Aleister Sumner sprints to the base hit and comes up firing to his cutoff man.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Cyclones shortstop Steven Meadows looks to start the double play as he tosses to Jack Blevins.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Center fielder Brayden Buckles runs toward the gap in left to record the out.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
After picking up a win Saturday over the Loudon Redskins, the Elizabethton Cyclones looked to keep things going Monday night, taking the bus ride to Bluff City for an early 3A district matchup against the Sullivan East Patriots.
The Cyclones got on the board first with a line drive home run off the bat of Rhett Slagle that cleared the left-field fence. Bryson Rowland gave up a base hit and a single in the bottom of the first but struck out the Patriots’ fifth batter to get out of the inning. The Cyclones went down quietly in their half of the second.
The Patriots used a single and back-to-back sacrifice bunts to get on the board, then Sullivan East’s Aladair Owens scampered home on a wild pitch to put the Patriots up 2-1 heading into the third. As was the case most of the night, the Cyclones responded. Logan Campbell started the inning by reaching on a walk, and Jack Blevins reached on an error. Then Slagle was hit by a pitch. The Patriots recorded a couple of strikeouts; however, facing a 3-2 count, Steven Meadows launched a grand slam to left field, giving the Cyclones a 6-2 lead.
The Patriots wasted little time tying the game at 6-6 when Blue Proffitt doubled down the right-field line. Brayden Buckles broke the tie in the top of the fourth with a solo home run. The Patriots got runners on second and third with two outs, prompting Cyclones head coach Michael Corn to go to the bullpen and call on freshman Carter Reece. After issuing a walk, Reece struck out the next batter on a full count, keeping the Patriots scoreless and preserving the Cyclones’ slim advantage.
After a quiet top of the fifth, the Patriots once again tied the game on a Kaden Hicks double to left-center, plating Proffitt. Neither team could score in the sixth, setting up the final inning.
Blevins and Slagle got the seventh inning started with a single and an intentional walk. With one out, JD Hooks hit a hard ground ball down the first-base line for a double, scoring two runs. Meadows followed with a single past shortstop to make it 10-7. He then alertly sprinted home on a passed ball to extend the Cyclones’ lead to 11-7.
Reliever Seth Holly got Sullivan East to go down in order, finishing the game with a strikeout on three straight pitches.
Meadows finished the night with five RBIs, going 2-for-4 at the plate. Blevins also picked up two hits in the contest.
Rowland started on the mound for the Cyclones, pitching 3.2 innings and surrendering six runs on five hits while striking out five. Reece and Holly were strong in relief, combining for 3.1 innings, giving up one earned run on one hit and one walk.
“The first couple of weeks have been really tough on us. Our early season competitive schedule has certainly highlighted some of our needed areas of improvement. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but we still have a long road ahead if we are to be playing our best baseball come May,” Corn said.
The Cyclones will play host Tuesday night, with the Patriots hitting the road this time.
