Hiawassee, Ga. – Fresh off a return to the state playoffs last year, Robbinsville’s varsity baseball team has faced a pair of tough opponents to begin its 2025 campaign.
After getting a quick away/home series with Towns County, Ga., out of the way, the Black Knights traveled to Rosman on Tuesday and faced the Tigers in a losing effort.
The season opener across state lines Feb. 27 ended in five innings, with the hosting Indians (3-5) collecting a 12-0 win.
Luke Lovin doubled in the top of the first, but the connection proved to be the only extra-base hit for Robbinsville (0-3) in the loss. Towns County plated five runs in the bottom of the frame, thanks to an RBI single from Caleb Vardo; a double from Tripp Shirley to score courtesy runner Jonas Rouse; a Sam Sarafin flyout, which plated Oliver Sarafin; an error that allowed Shirley to sprint home; and a two-out single from Mason Pierson, which drove in Morgan Walker.
Oliver Sarafin recorded a RBI hit of his own in the bottom of the second, when Rouse scored with one out. The Indians continued to pour it on in the third, as Pierson and Alphonso Giampola both scampered home on a one-out error, while Oliver Sarafin grounded out to score Braydon Baldwin. Their final remarks came in the fourth, when Giampola, Baylor Rogers and Tyler Rawdon each drew bases-loaded walks to bring home respective runners Walker, Braydon Barrett and Pierson.
Between starting pitcher Rylen Orr – plus relivers Lovin and Peyton Brooks – Robbinsville’s staff combined to strike out seven Towns County batters in the game.
Home opener
Robbinsville – With the debut in the rearview mirror, the Knights trotted onto Loudon Orr Memorial Field on Monday full of optimism.
Instead, the return affair with Towns County quickly dissolved into another battle from underneath. The Indians poured on eight runs in the top of the first and refused to let off the accelerator, going on to pick up a six-inning, 17-3 victory.
Baldwin and Giampola both scored on errors in the first, while Shirley came in on a wild pitch. Sam Sarafin dashed across the plate on a Pierson single, before Walker sprinted in following an Eli McNabb flyout.
Rawdon followed with a double to plate Pierson, which preceded Rawdon sliding across on a passed ball.
The final strike came on a Vardo single, which scored Baldwin.
Robbinsville’s first runs of the year were manufactured in the bottom of the inning, when Orr grounded out to score Benton Gibby and Quinn Jumper crossed the diamond on an error.
Shirley again found his way home on a wild pitch in the second, while McNabb snuck across during a rundown in the third. McNabb later roped a two-run single in the fourth to usher in Shirley and Walker.
The Knights’ last run came home in the bottom of the fourth, when Bryce Adams scored on a wild pitch.
Sam Sarafin cemented the dominance of the visitors in the fifth, clearing the bases on a one-out grand slam.
McNabb later smacked a two-out hit to drive in Walker for the final tally of the evening.
Adams doubled for Robbinsville, while Jumper and Gibby both swiped a base apiece. Between Jumper, Easton Shuler and Xamuel Wachacha, the Knights posted five strikeouts against the Indians.
Robbinsville dropped Tuesday’s trip to Rosman (2-3), 12-4.
Look for more from the game in the March 13 edition of The Graham Star.