Greenwell dominates Avery County

Published 12:45 pm Friday, March 31, 2023

By Allen LaMountain

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Senior Johnathan Greenwell put on a performance reminding everyone of Shohei Otani of the Los Angeles Angels allowing one run on three hits against Avery County on Thursday evening. At the plate, Greenwell had three hits in four at bats driving in four runs as Hampton dominated the Vikings 11-1.
“I didn’t have a lot available to me pitching wise tonight, so I told him to go out and dominate and that’s what he did,” Bulldogs head coach Nicholas Perkins said. “It has been a tough early start but I hope this is the start of us getting back to playing great baseball.”
Hampton (3-5) scored a pair of runs in the last of the first frame on a single from leadoff man Chance Point who stole second and came around on an RBI ground ball from Jayden Kuhn. Greenwell followed with an RBI single to centerfield that plated Brody Hicks who had reached on an infield hit.
Greenwell struck out the side in the second inning and the ‘Dogs added four more runs in the bottom of the second. Noah Nichols opened the stanza with a double and Josh Whitson dropped down a bunt that was fielded by Avery County pitcher Brooks Berry but the Vikings first baseman had charged down the line and Whitson was safe with no throw.
Whitson was picked off first base but Point delivered an RBI infield single. Hicks also singled and one out later another Kuhn ground ball brought in a run and Greenwell delivered a two run single to make it a 6-0 contest.
In the contest Greenwell pitched five innings striking out nine and walking just two and he spoke about what he had going for him on the mound saying, “I had a decent slider coming behind my fastball. It took some pressure off scoring some early runs. Nichols had a big double and he has been putting in the work.”
The ‘Dogs got three more runs in the third on three hits as Whitson walked with one out and Point collected his third hit of the game to put Hampton runners on the corners. The Bulldogs got a run on the third of four errors the Vikings committed and Greenwell struck an opposite field triple for his fourth RBI of the contest and Hampton had a 9-0 advantage after three innings.
Nichols had his second hit of the game and this one drove in Maddux Wilson who had pinch hit for Josh Kiehn and drew a walk and the last Viking error brought home the last run of the game for the ‘Dogs.
In the top of the fifth, Greenwell tired a bit and gave up a two out single to pinch hitter Josh Jackson and issued a walk to leadoff man Riley Isaacs. Berry’s single to center brought home the only run Avery could muster as Greenwell struck out Trent Wellborn to end the game.
Point finished 3-for-4 as did Greenwell while Hicks had a 2-for-3 game and Nichols had two hits as well.
Hampton 11-1
Avery Co. 000 01 – 1 3
Hampton 243 2x – 11 11
W – Greenwell L – Berry
2B – Nichols 3B – Greenwell

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