Knights, Eagles split bill; both vying for playoffs
Robbinsville – Just one week ago, the Black Knights were eyeing a return to the .500 mark.
But after a tough 3-game skid ended with a victory in Game 2 of a doubleheader with Hiwassee Dam, Robbinsville is simply trying to tread water and hope for the best.
With heavy rain looming in the forecast for later in the week, Robbinsville (7-11, 4-6) and Hiwassee Dam (5-11, 4-6) agreed to play a doubleheader at Loudon Orr Memorial Field on Tuesday, with the Knights acting as the “away” team for Game 2. The deal included two, 5-inning games and washed away the threat of having to reschedule a crucial divisional game due to weather.
The Eagles took Game 1, 9-3; and the Knights prevailed 5-3 in Game 2. With both programs entering the matchups boasting identical conference marks, nothing was gained or lost.
But that can be looked at two ways, as Robbinsville and Hiwassee Dam are in a stalemate over fourth place in the division. The spot could mean the difference in a playoff bid, something that has evaded the Black Knights since 2012.
Hiwassee Dam pushed ahead 3-0 in the top of the second, taking advantage of control issues from Robbinsville starter Ethan Orr. Evan Hedrick singled home Dawson Headley, while both Trenten Beavers and Clay Davis drew back-to-back, bases-loaded walks in the aftermath to record RBIs when respective baserunners Kyle Taylor and Cole Elliott jogged home on the free passes.
The Knights slowly got back to even ground, with Alex Knight dashing home on a passed ball in the home portion of the inning; and Ethan Orr doubling to plate Graylen Orr, before Lathan Buchanan scored on a fielding error during the same play in the third.
Sadly for Robbinsville, the offense struggled to produce much off starter Clay Davis thereafter, who picked up six strikeouts to help the Eagles garner the win. Meanwhile, the game seemed destined for extra innings until the fifth, when Hiwassee Dam unloaded six runs onto the Knights. Pinch hitter Dalton Kester was plunked by a pitch with the bases full, to score Colton Berrong; Pace Ware singled to drive in Tanner Taylor; Hedrick flew out to plate Headley; Beavers doubled home Elliott; Ware made his way across on an error; and Tanner Taylor was hit by a pitch – again, with the bases loaded, which allowed Hedrick to come home.
The Black Knights’ wasted little time coming to life in Game 2, as Knight and Quinn Jumper both scored on wild pitches in the top of the first; and Luke Lovin drove in Bryce Adams on a single. The reminder of the offense came from Ethan Orr, who later doubled in Caleb Turpin in the third, before tripling to drive home Buchanan in the fifth.
Hedrick sprinted in thanks to a one-out error in the second, before a Davis 2-bagger plated courtesy runner Ware. Davis again posted an RBI in the third, on a single that scored Aiden Weaver. The Knights’ thwarted the go-ahead from coming across, however: Lovin firing a laser from left field to Adams at the plate to tag out Penland.
Graylen Orr struck out five Eagles to stave off any further threat in the ballgame.
Headscratcher
After easily taming the Wildcats 12-1 on April 18, Robbinsville went into Friday’s home game with Andrews full of optimism.
However, Isaac Weaver proved to be a difference maker. The Cats senior mowed down 10 Black Knights, as he went the distance in a 6-5 Andrews win.
The Wildcats only had one extra-base hit – Kegan Ellis’ double – and Robbinsville showed its patented tenacity by not throwing in the towel despite a 6-2 deficit in the bottom of the sixth. Buchanan doubled and came home on a Knight RBI single; Ethan Orr later scored on a Adams groundout; and Garrison collected a RBI of his own on a grounder that allowed Knight to charge in.
Garrison had the starting nod for Robbinsville, collecting eight strikeouts on the hill.
Split series
Copperhill, Tenn. – Things started favorably enough for Robbinsville on April 20, with the Knights driving in three in the second at Copper Basin.
The Cougars’ reply of two in the home portion of the inning left Robbinsville with hope, but Copper Basin (5-8) quickly pulled ahead with a 7-run third and dictated the pace for the remainder of the game to win 12-6.
Ethan Orr had a double and two hits in the loss, as well as seven strikeouts in four innings of relief work after Lovin’s night concluded following the second.
Addison Hook and Graylen Orr had a heated exchange in the sixth, after Hook hit Graylen for the third time with a pitch in the game. Graylen was ultimately sent to the bench early in the verbal fallout and missed Friday’s home appointment with Andrews as a result.