FARRAGUT — Pitching depth helped carry Science Hill’s baseball team to the sectional round. And the Hilltoppers will have all their arms available with their season on the line.
Two wins at Farragut on Thursday, and the Hilltoppers are headed to Murfreesboro. But the Admirals put Science Hill in a do-or-die position with Wednesday’s 9-4 win at John Heatherly Field in Game 1 of the Class 4A sectional.
Science Hill (32-12), just days removed from winning back-to-back games to keep its season alive in the Region 1-4A tournament, used eight pitchers in the game. None of them reached 25 pitches, leaving them all eligible for Games 2 and 3 should the Hilltoppers force the rubber match.
“We just wanted to use our strength, because I feel like we’ve got a lot of pitching depth,” Science Hill coach Ryan Edwards said. “I was proud of our guys. They really went up there and pounded the strike zone.
“It’s just hard to expect anybody to go through that lineup more than a couple of times because they really hit the baseball. We decided let’s just mix and match for the first day and we’ll stretch guys out (Thursday).”
Starting pitcher Noah Hazell was tagged with the loss. Caden Wells and Cole ReSue both struck out two batters in relief.
CAME OUT SWINGING
Science Hill delivered the first blow Wednesday night. Three batters into the game, Jackson Berry sent a 2-1 offering over the left-field wall for a two-run bomb.
“That’s what we needed,” Edwards said. “Our kids competed and I thought they really competed at the plate against some really good pitching … but they’re a good team, so credit them. They took advantage of every mistake we made.”
Farragut (35-5) answered by scoring five runs in the home half of the first before Science Hill recorded the first out. After RBI hits by Landis Davila and Jake Merrick, Michael Delph hammered a three-run shot to left for a sudden 5-2 Admiral lead.
The Hilltoppers responded in the second, thanks to a two-run blast from Lucas Dye to make it a 5-4 game. But Science Hill couldn’t take advantage after loading the bases with two out in the sixth.
Davila’s two-run bomb in the fourth made it 7-4, and Farragut got its last two runs on a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk two innings later.
Davila went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and Brennon Seigler 2-for-4 to lead Farragut.
Delph, who’s headed to West Point, struck out nine over six innings of work while scattering six hits. Stratton Scott pitched the final inning for the save.
UP NEXT
Game 2 from John Heatherly Field begins at 4 p.m. Thursday, followed by the if-necessary Game 3 should Science Hill win.
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