Wartburg and Harriman Fall in Sectional Competition
By Terry Futrell
Both the Wartburg Central Bulldogs and the Harriman Blue Devils fell far short on Friday in their quest for berths in the TSSAA Class A Baseball State Tournament. Region 2-A Champion Harriman was blanked by Region 1 Runner-up University School of Johnson City 11-0. Region 2-A Runner-up Wartburg faced a tough Region 1-A Champion Greenback team and was crushed 14-1. The losses end the 2019 season for both teams.
Wartburg Central Crushed by Greenback 14-1
Greenback pitchers Cole Riddle and Bryce Hanley limited the Bulldogs to two hits and two walks in the 5-inning contest. Yes, that is the same Bryce Hanley who was named Class 1A Mr. Football in 2018. Riddle and Hanley struck out eight Bulldogs in the game. Wartburg’s two hits came on a hard ground ball to left by Jeremiah Davis in the top of the 2ndinning and a hard ground ball to right by Patrick Lester in the top of the 4th.
Wartburg’s Caleb Constant pitched three and two-thirds innings, striking out three and walking six. Constant was tagged for 13 hits and gave up 14 runs to the Cherokees. Jeremiah Davis came on to pitch in relief for one-third inning and gave up two hits with no strikeouts and no walks.
Bulldog fielders were error-free, while the Cherokees committed two errors.
Nine Cherokees recorded hits in the game. Seth Riddle and Austin Burger were perfect at the plate. Riddle hit 3-for-3 and Burger hit 2-for-2. Riddle, Hanley, and Reese Plemons each hit 2-for-3 in the game. Highlight of the Cherokees batting came when Hanley hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 1stto put Greenback on the scoreboard.
Leading 5-1, the Cherokees dashed all hope for Wartburg by putting nine more runs on the board in the bottom of the 4thinning. Fourteen Greenback batters made plate appearances. Six Cherokee batters had hits and one walked, scoring five runs before Wartburg could get the first out in the inning. Greenback recorded four more hits as the Bulldogs struggled to draw the inning to closure. Greenback led 14-1 after four innings.
In the top of the 5th, Hanley struck out two Wartburg batters and walked one before Caleb Constant hit an infield grounder that forced Colby Justes at 2ndbase, ending the game and the season for the Bulldogs.
Harriman Blanked by University School 11-0
University School’s Michael Degennaro pitched a 1-hitter as the Buccaneers blanked Harriman in five innings 11-0. Degennaro struck out nine Blue Devils and walked only two. Harriman’s only hit came on a line drive single to center field by Makail Moore in the bottom of the 2ndinning.
Harriman pitchers Brandon Turpin and Brady Stubbs were not so fortunate against Buccaneer batters. Turpin pitched three innings, giving up 10 hits and nine runs while striking out one and walking one. Brady Stubbs pitched two innings in relief, giving up two hits and two runs while striking out two and walking two.
Harriman fielders committed two errors, and the Buccaneers were error free.
University School had four batters hitting .500 or better. Degennaro hit 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Brant Hare hit 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Kaleb Meredith hit 3-for-4 and Henry Borthwick hit 1-for-2.