Cyclones shut down in pitching duel at Volunteer
Published 3:00 pm Thursday, April 27, 2023
- File Photo/Ivan Sanders Connor Edmundson prepares to fire a pitch to home plate in a previous contest with Sullivan East. Edmundson was the hard-luck loser in Wednesday's game against Volunteer in a pitching dual with the Falcons Connor Haynes.
Sometimes in baseball, a team just can’t figure out an opposing pitcher no matter how hard they try and the end result isn’t exactly the way you hoped it would turn out.
That scenario came into play on Wednesday when Upper Lakes foes Volunteer and Elizabethton squared off in a key conference showdown as the Falcons Connor Haynes pitched a complete-game five-hitter while allowing no runs in his team’s 3-0 victory over the Cyclones.
Neither team could muster any runs through the first four and a half innings of play as goose eggs dominated the scoreboard.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, freshman Gavin Hickernell sent a pitch to right field and by the time Cyclone right fielder Bryson Rowland got the ball back to the infield, Hickernell was standing at third base with a triple.
Austin Williams single chased Hickernell home for a 1-0 Volunteer lead.
After a scoreless top of the sixth inning for Elizabethton, Haynes got all the extra run support he needed as his team added a pair of runs to give the Falcons a 3-0 lead.
Haynes was in the mix once again as he worked a walk from his Cyclone counterpart Connor Edmundson to start the inning. A double from Colby Lawson scored Haynes to make it a 2-0 game.
The Falcons got their final run of the game as Zach Justice grounded out to second baseman Steven Meadows who recorded the out at first base but not before Lawson was on his wheels and advanced to home.
Kaleb Hambrick collected a pair of the five hits Elizabethton had on the day. Hayden Nave, Brilee Hurley, and Jack Farris (double) had the only other hits for the Cyclones.
Edmundson took the loss on the hill lasting 5.1 innings allowing three runs with two strikeouts and a walk. Jackson Buckles completed the remaining .2 innings of the contest.
The Cyclones committed one error in the game.
