BY AUSTIN ALEXANDER

STAR CORRESPONDENT

KINGSPORT— Tuesday night saw the beginning of postseason play for the T.A. Dugger Junior Cyclones. They faced a tough test from Ross N. Robinson in the first round of TMSAA Big 6 Tournament and did the game ever deliver on the hype.

Stellar pitching and quiet bats from both sides created a low scoring affair for the ages. After three and a half hours and 11 innings, T.A. Dugger stood victorious 5-3.

Brady Stump started on the mound for the Redskins and he was quick to finish the inning after just four batters with the only base runner reaching on a walk.

His counterpart on the mound was Peyton Johnson and the Jr. Cyclone pitcher wasted little time with his response forcing the Redskins to go three up and three down.

Stump would respond with three of his ten strikeouts in the second inning and the Jr. Cyclones had no answer for him.

The bottom of the inning wasn’t much different than the first as the Redskins once again had a short inning at the plate, featuring only four batters.

T.A. Dugger would strike first in the third inning when centerfielder Jack Farris drove in Nate Stevens from third following Stevens’ two stolen bases. Stevens finished with an incredible four stolen bases as well as advancing on a wild pitch.

The two teams traded scoreless half innings until the bottom of the fifth.

Connor McMillian shot a hot groundball into centerfield scoring Aiden Byington and knotting the game up at one run apiece.

The game would see two pitching changes as Byington would take over for Stump on the Redskins end of things and kept a scoreless game until the ninth inning.

The Jr. Cyclones loaded the bases and prompted another pitching change to Hayden Atchison. Farris would again come up big knocking in Hayden Nave making the game 2-1.

The Redskins, however, would answer yet again whenever J.T. Griswold drove a fierce groundball past T.A. Dugger third basemen Wesley Shankles to drive Byington home and tying the game at 2-all forcing extra innings.

The 10th inning was a carbon copy of regulation as both teams went three up and three down setting up a massive 11th inning.

With two outs, Stevens walked for the Jr. Cyclones. Farris would again drive in Stevens making the score 3-2.

Following a walk, catcher Will Taylor stepped up to the plate and whacked a deep fly ball into deep center bringing in both runners and making the score 5-2 in the Jr. Cyclones favor.

With two outs, the Jr. Cyclones would make their final pitching change of the night putting Brilee Hurley on the mound.

The Redskins wouldn’t go quietly, however, as Griswold drove home Jake Carson with two outs making the score 5-3.

But it was too little too late for Ross N. Robinson as Connor McMillian would ground into the final out of the game.

The win means a date with either Liberty Bell or Vance in the next round for the Jr. Cyclones.