Weekend roundup: Junior Bulldogs pull away from the Warriors
Published 3:43 pm Monday, April 21, 2025
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Jr. Bulldogs pitcher Cooper Kleinsmith ends the second inning with a strikeout.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Jr. Warrior Javi Carrillo pulls a hard grounder just foul down the first base line.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Eland Henson picks up a base hit on a hard grounder to right.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Warriors third baseman Brody Jarrett looks to put the tag on Memphis Nave.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent With a runner on first, Jr. Bulldogs catcher Memphis Nave blocks the plate.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent HVMS shortstop Mason Foister pulls in a grounder before firing to first for the out.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Left fielder Jackson Emerson shades his eyes as he makes the catch on a pop-up in the third inning.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Warriors’ Jackson Hollifield hits a hard grounder up the middle.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
In a battle for second place in the conference standings, the Jr. Bulldogs defeated the HVMS Warriors 8-1 on Saturday.
The Warriors struck first as Brody Wagoner sent a hard ground ball just past short, plating Mason Foister, who had gotten on earlier with a walk and then stolen second to get in scoring position. The Bulldogs’ pitcher, Cooper Kleinsmith, then got a strikeout and induced a ground ball to end the Warriors’ threat. It did not take long for the Bulldogs to answer, as Eland Henson hit a hard grounder just out of reach of the Warriors’ first baseman. Henson then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Memphis Nave knocked Henson home on a skipping ground ball to left to tie the game at 1.
The game stayed tied until the third inning, when the Bulldogs scored three runs. After taking a couple of walks, the Bulldogs scored as a throw down to third hopped into left, scoring Henson. With runners at second and third, Noah Keylon roped a double to deep left to make it 4-1.
Cooper Kleinsmith began to find his groove on the mound for Hampton as he kept the ball low in the strike zone, picking up strikeouts and inducing ground balls. Looking to slam the door, the Jr. Bulldogs picked up two more runs in the fourth, sparked by a base hit by T. Parlier, and then added two more runs in the fifth as back-to-back singles by Henson and Kleinsmith pushed the score to 8-1.
Head Coach Aaron Henson felt his team had a focused approach to the contest. “I told them if we are going to play on Easter weekend, we better do all we can to bring glory to God; these boys were laser-focused, and it showed.”
The Jr. Bulldogs were led by Kleinsmith, who had three base hits. Henson picked up two base hits, while Memphis Nave collected three walks and scored twice. Kleinsmith’s strong performance on the mound featured one run on one hit and nine strikeouts.
High school baseball
Cloudland 15, Cedar View Christian 0
Jacob Stinett collected three hits, and Camden Peppers recorded 11 strikeouts as the Highlanders rolled over the Seahawks. Cloudland picked up 10 hits as seven different batters collected at least one base hit.
Science Hill 12, Elizabethton 2
The Cyclones saw a close game slip away in the sixth inning as the Hilltoppers plated eight runs. JD Hooks, Rhett Slagle, Jack Blevins and Marshall Holtsclaw each collected a base hit for the Cyclones. Elizabethton will take on David Crockett on the road Monday night.
High school softball
Volunteer 5, Elizabethton 3
The Lady Cyclones entered the final inning with a 3-2 lead, but the Lady Falcons plated three runs in the final frame for the win. Elizabethton took the lead as they strung together four base hits, including a triple from Kaitlyn Gryder and a double by Mikinna Blackwell.
Lacey Gobble looked solid on the mound in the loss, throwing all seven innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out six.
Hampton 17, Johnson County 2
The Lady Bulldogs came out of the gate on fire, scoring 14 runs in the first inning. If they were not getting base hits, they were showing great patience at the plate, collecting a total of 11 walks.
Briley Davis was a force on the mound and at the plate. She surrendered just four hits and gave up one earned run over three innings of work. At the plate, she went 2-for-2 with three RBIs. Lilian Andrews also chipped in two hits in the win.
