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By C.Y. Peters

It was April 26, 2000 — a warm, sunny Wednesday afternoon, the kind that made you forget it was still spring and not yet summer. On that picture-perfect day, Cloudland Middle School traveled down the mountain to Stoney Creek to take on the Jr. Rangers of Unaka in what would go down as one of the most remarkable middle school baseball games ever played.

Both teams were loaded with young talent, and on the mound were two of the region’s finest multi-sport athletes: Mark Byrd for the Highlanders and Rusty Chambers for the Rangers. What those in attendance didn’t know as they settled into their folding chairs and leaned against the fences was that they were about to witness something rarely seen even in the major leagues — a double no-hitter.

Byrd, a fiery competitor with a rocket for an arm, would later lead Cloudland High School to a TSSAA state football championship game and star in three sports. Chambers, equally athletic and just as driven, would go on to help lead the Unaka Rangers to the 2004 TSSAA state basketball title. But on this day, they were just two young boys with big dreams and even bigger arms.

Chambers took the hill first and made quick work of the Highlanders in the top of the first, using a mix of fastballs and sharp breaking balls to hold Cloudland hitless and baseless. Then it was Byrd’s turn. If the Rangers thought they were in for an easy day, Byrd let them know otherwise by striking out five batters in the first inning alone — two of them reaching base on passed balls, which would prove costly. Those runners came around to score, and the Jr. Rangers took an early 2-0 lead without recording a hit.

The game stayed tight, tense and electric. Every pitch was met with silence, every strikeout with gasps. In the later innings, Unaka managed to scratch across two more runs — again, without a single hit — thanks to defensive miscues and smart base running.

By the time the dust settled on the five-inning affair — shortened due to a scheduled doubleheader — Rusty Chambers had struck out nine Highlanders and allowed no hits. Mark Byrd had fanned an incredible 13 batters over four innings, also surrendering no hits.

The final score read Unaka 4, Cloudland 0. But it wasn’t the score that mattered most — it was the story. Two future stars facing off in a once-in-a-lifetime showdown that defied expectations and statistics. A double no-hitter, forever carved in the memories of those lucky enough to witness it. Both Byrd (2017) and Chambers (2019) have been inducted into the Carter County Sports Hall of Fame.

That game at Claude Holsclaw Field was more than baseball — it was a glimpse into the greatness that was to come.