Cyclones clip Patriots in narrow win
Published 10:32 pm Thursday, April 13, 2023
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Starting Cyclone pitcher Bryson Rowland prepares to deliver to the plate. The southpaw picked up the win tossing five innings of six-hit baseball while striking out seven Sullivan East batters.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Elizabethton head coach Ryan Presnell challenges the ruling of a dropped ball in the outfield but to no avail.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Elizabethton's first baseman races to the bag for a putout as starting pitcher Bryson Rowland also comes to cover.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Peyton Johnson of Elizabethton sends a pitch back up the middle for an RBI single.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Elizabethton's third baseman gets ready to zip the baseball across the diamond for an out at first base.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Cyclone shortstop Peyton Johnson shakes his fist after he and the Cyclone third baseman executed a perfect rundown of an East baserunner.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
EHS head boys basketball coach Lucas Honeycutt and his daughter Hensley catch the Cyclones baseball game against East.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Elizabethton relief pitcher Connor Edmundson fields his position and makes a play on a sacrifice bunt against East.
STAR CORRESPONDENT
It was a great night for baseball at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark as Elizabethton played host to the Sullivan East Patriots in a conference showdown.
Looking to sweep the regular-season contest after winning game one by an 8-6 score on the road in Bluff City, the Cyclones engaged in another nip and tuck game to take the sweep with a 3-2 win on their home diamond.
Starting pitcher Bryson Rowland did yeomen’s work on the mound for head coach Ryan Presnell’s squad as the southpaw worked five complete innings of baseball allowing only six hits and two runs while striking out seven Patriot batters to take the win. Connor Edmundson and Steven Meadows finished off the game with one inning of relief apiece.
After East got on the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning, the Cyclones evened things in the bottom half of the frame.
Kaleb Hambrick led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a defensive indifference. Hambrick took third when Rowland grounded out back to the pitcher. A Peyton Johnson fly ball was deep enough to allow Hambrick to tag up and score on the out to even the game at 1-1.
Elizabethton took the lead in the bottom of the third inning as Hambrick worked a one-out walk. The speedy Hambrick was on his horse as he swiped second base and took third on a Rowland groundout to the East shortstop.
Johnson picked up his second RBI of the game when he singled to center field, scoring Hambrick to make it a 2-1 contest.
The Cyclones tacked on another solo run in the bottom of the fourth. Briley Hurley got things going with a one-out single to centerfield and was followed by JD Hooks who worked the East pitcher for a walk.
A Jack Farris single loaded the bases with Cyclones before a Brayden Buckles single to right field chased Hurley home to make it a 3-1 game.
East made it interesting in the top of the fifth with a solo run before Rowland worked out of the inning.
The Cyclone bullpen took care of business down the stretch for the victory.
Hurley and Farris accounted for two hits apiece in the eight-hit Cyclone win. Cyclone pitching allowed only six hits to the Patriots while striking out eight and walking a total of six batters.
Johnson, Hurley, Buckles, and Hambrick each were credited with a stolen base. Steven Meadows was credited with the save for the Cyclones.
