Seamless on the diamond

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Robbinsville baseball begins year 3-0

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Robbinsville’s Kade Garrison prepares for a connection during Saturday’s season-opening win at Cherokee. Photo by Court Carpenter/The Graham Star

Copperhill, Tenn. – If the first week is any indication, Black Knight fans could be in for a fun season of Robbinsville baseball.

Starting out the year with three straight road games can be challenging, but the Knights (3-0, 2-0) have made the best of the card dealt to them by Mother Nature, as even rainy weather could not dampen their cohesiveness in wins over Cherokee, Hiwassee Dam and Copper Basin.

“I’m loving coaching these fine young men,” said Robbinsville head coach Brent Icenhower after Tuesday’s victory in Tennessee. “We are off to a good start and we hope to keep it rolling. 

“We can have a very successful season, once we get all the little details put together.”

Against the Braves (0-1, 0-1), Robbinsville picked up an 8-5 win.

Starting pitcher Bryce Coats fanned six batters across five innings of work, while Kayden Brock doubled and posted two RBIs. 

Jeb Shuler also kept Cherokee’s battery on-notice, swiping three bases during the game.

Robbinsville’s production was aided immensly by six Braves errors during the game. The Knights’ combo of Coats, Shuler and Landyn Hall held Cherokee to just one hit across the course of the affair.

March 7, 2020

Robbinsville   002 113 1 –  8  4  1

Cherokee        000 023 0 –  5  1  6

WP – Coats (1-0). 2B – Brock. RBI – Brock 2, Shuler, Jones. S – Beavers. SB – Shuler 3, McGuire, Garrison, Coats. Pitch Count: Coats 99, Shuler 44, Hall 3.

At Hiwassee Dam (0-1, 0-1), Robbinsville shut out the Eagles in a 5-inning rout, 13-0.

Hall had a 4-RBI afternoon and also homered, while Coats tripled. 

Shuler picked up the victory, allowing just one hit and striking out five Hiwassee Dam batters across four innings of work.

March 9, 2020

Robbinsville      204 25 –  13  8  1

Hiwassee Dam  000 00 –    0  1  0

WP – Shuler (1-0). 3B – Coats. HR – Hall. RBI – Hall 4, Coats 2, Shuler, Beavers, McGuire, Garrison, Littlejohn, Brooks. SB – Brock, Coats. Pitch Count: Shuler 74, Hall 9.

Robbinsville clung to an 8-6 lead as it entered the top of the seventh at Copper Basin on Tuesday, reeling after surrounding six runs to the Cougars in the bottom of the sixth.

But the Knights responded with a 4-run frame and held out to pick up a 12-8 victory. 

Kayden Brock racked up three RBIs in the victory, while Shuler had a 4-hit game. Coats would double twice, while McGuire had three stolen bases.

Brock also shined on the hill, allowing just one earned run and striking out eight Cougars to pick up his first win of the campaign.

March 10, 2020

Robbinsville   101 060 4 –  12  12  1

Copper Basin  000 006 2 –   8    8  2

WP – Brock (1-0). 2B – Coats 2, Shuler. RBI – Brock 3, Shuler 2, Coats 2, Hall. SB – McGuire 3, Hall 2, Brock 2, Shuler, Coats. Pitch Count: Brock 101, Hall 45, Garrison 7.