Robbinsville baseball has won 5 of its last 7
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Ethan Orr patiently awaits his chance to swing Monday against Towns County, Ga. The next day, Orr homered and pitched a complete game for Robbinsville, helping lift the Black Knights to a 5-3 home win over Rosman. Photo courtesy of Fala Welch/Contributing Photographer
Robbinsville – Just 2 ½ weeks ago, the Black Knights were 0-6 and had only played one seven-inning game to start the season.
Counting Tuesday’s 5-3 home victory over Rosman, Robbinsville has went 5-2 to put the bumpy opening of the campaign in the rearview mirror. An away/home tilt with Andrews (1-9, 1-7) is on tap for next week, with a road game at Copper Basin, Tenn. (1-8) wedged in-between.
It might be the best thing for the opposition that the Knights are getting a 6-day breather: Robbinsville has hit its stride.
“It’s a mentality change; we’ve just been ready to play,” junior Ethan Orr said, after hitting a 2-run homer and logging a complete game on the hill in Tuesday’s non-conference win. “We’ll be ready to come back next week and play, try to get to .500 and go from there.”
Orr’s launch in the bottom of the fourth ended Rosman’s shutout bid – and was the shot in the arm Robbinsville (5-8, 2-4) needed. The Tigers had clung to the lead built by solo homers off the bats of Carson Lyday (first inning) and Quintin Forbes (third).
While Rosman (2-13) managed to pull back ahead 3-2 in the fifth – on a 2-out Matt Dodson single, which plated Gavin Marlow – the Knights were locked in. In the home-half of the frame, Lathan Buchanan doubled to drive in both Luke Lovin and Graylen Orr, before dashing home on an Alex Knight single later in the stanza.
From there, it was all on Ethan Orr (2-5). He went the distance on 95 pitches and posted Robbinsville’s first complete-game effort of the season. He struck out nine to help cement the season sweep of the Tigers.
“I’m just glad the boys came out ready to play,” Orr added. “We ultimately went out there and played our game, and got the ‘W.’”
Long, fruitful trip
Rosman – There was an old adage that floated around the Smoky Mountain Conference during Rosman’s stay in the division (1993-2022): you never see the real Rosman, due to either the distance the Tigers had to cover to play an in-house game, or other teams in the conference had to travel to reach Transylvania County.
But Robbinsville made itself right at home April 6, forgoing the wearies of the road and peppering out a 6-1 win over the Tigers.
Jumper roped a first-inning single to score Buchanan, before Ethan Orr doubled in Knight in the fourth and advanced to third on an error. Adams then grounded into a fielder’s choice during the next at-bat, but collected an RBI thanks to Orr charging home from third.
The Knights’ final strike came in the sixth, when Graylen Orr sprinted home on a passed ball; Ethan Orr connected to score Buchanan; and Knight found his way to the plate on another passed ball.
Graylen Orr (3-3) continued his lights-out week at Rosman, blanking 12 Tigers in 6 ⅔ innings of work. Rosman did its only damage at the plate in the bottom of the third, when Kreed Smith singled to score Josh Fisher, tying the affair at 1-1. Smith was thrown out attempting to reach second.
Missed chances
Robbinsville – Most observers will look at April 5’s outcome against Murphy (7-5, 6-0) and ultimately pinpoint three solo homers from the Bulldogs as the deciding factor in a 5-0 home loss.
But it’s not like Robbinsville laid an egg at the plate; in fact, the Knights outhit Murphy 6-4 and posted three doubles, courtesy of starting pitcher Ethan Orr, Turpin and Buchanan.
What Robbinsville was unable to do, however, was bring anyone home with runners in scoring position. The Black Knights scattered a whopping 10 players on the basepath, despite Murphy senior hurler Isaac Cole striking out just as many Robbinsville batters in the game. The battery carried its weight in the game, as well. Ethan Orr struck out five on the hill in 6 ⅔ innings, while Adams mowed down two potential base thieves in the loss.
Rude guests
Robbinsville – The Indians unquestionably came to hit.
And hit, they did.
All told, 15 Towns County, Ga. (14-8) runs crossed home plate Monday, with the Hiawassee natives delivering 14 hits, two doubles, a triple and a home run in a 15-5 win over the Black Knights.
Towns County scored five off starting pitcher Ethan Orr in the top of the first, ending his afternoon early. Luke Lovin toted the load from that point on for Robbinsville and endured the remainder of the damage, including five of Conner Chastain’s RBIs. The Indians’ 3-hole slugger drove in six overall, capping off a 4-for-5 game with a solo homer to lead off the seventh.
To their credit, the Black Knights hung around just enough to keep their hopes alive. Robbinsville finally made it onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth. Down 11-0 – and in danger of an early conclusion – Graylen Orr muscled a deep double that drove in Ethan Orr, Preston Phillips and Bryc Garrison. Orr later scurried home on a throwing error.
The Indians took three of the runs back in the sixth and Robbinsville’s final gasp came in the home-half of the segment, when Graylen Orr singled to score Ethan Orr.
The duo also accounted for the Knights’ only pair of extra-base hits in the loss.