Black Knights slide into 3rd place in conference
Bryson City – It was a game the Black Knights wanted back.
Badly.
Robbinsville (5-2, 3-1) was routed 19-7 in its 2024 divisional (and home) opener against rival Swain County (3-3, 2-2) on March 11, so revenge was at the forefront of the Knights’ mind when they rolled into Bryson City for Monday’s conference rematch.
Like a temptation they could not kick, the Maroon Devils were unable to keep Robbinsville at-bay; a wild top of the seventh ultimately lifted the Black Knights to a 10-8 victory.
“What I’m most pleased about our performance is that we never gave up; we just kept fighting to the end and there was no quit in us,” Robbinsville skipper Brent Icenhower said. “If we can keep that going forward, we’re gonna be a hard out for anybody.”
The affair was tied 8-8, with two outs in the top of the seventh. Quinn Jumper battled through an unusual plate appearance, as the junior slugger was seemingly struck twice by pitches from reliever Carter Hayes, but could not get the umpire’s approval.
So instead, Jumper launched a 2-run triple. The ball sailed over the head of right fielder Corey Stilwell, who crumpled after catching his cleat in the outfield grass. Jumper turned on the jets and Stilwell dashed to the stray ball, before making a barehanded throw (his glove flew off in the original collapse) to the relay man – preventing what could have been an inside-the-park homer.
“Swain’s coach actually told me after the game that he felt like we were the best team that they had played this year, so we just got to keep this momentum up and stay focused,” Icenhower added. “If we can do that, we should have a good year.”
Jumper finished with a Robbinsville-best three RBIs; Ethan Orr doubled and had two hits in the win. The latter also relieved starter Graylen Orr in the sixth, after Graylen struck out three Swain hopefuls. He now has 37 strikeouts in four starts this season.
“I couldn’t ask for a better performance from my pitchers,” said Icenhower. “They are doing a good job of not walking as many people; they’re just letting the batters put it in play and letting the defense do the work.”
Season sweep
Robbinsville – The Knights made sure the visitors felt less than uncomfortable in March 21’s home game, plating seven in the first two innings to wrap up a season sweep of the Cherokee Braves, 9-2.
Ethan Orr unloaded his second home run of the year in the bottom of the first, boosting his own cause on the hill right out of the gate. In his finest showing from the mound, the senior hurler blanked 10 batters in 5 ⅓ innings of work. Following Monday, Ethan is 2-2 on the year; Graylen is 3-0.
Another senior has been wreaking havoc on the basepath, as Bryc Garrison swiped four bases alone in the win over Cherokee (1-7, 0-5). He added one more Monday and has committed 14 acts of thievery already this year.
Garrison’s eagerness has thrust him into the running for the program single-season stolen base record, currently held by Jeb Shuler – who stole 21 bases in 2021.
“I’m really pleased with the way that we’ve been playing the last four games,” said Icenhower of Robbinsville’s current 4-0 run. “We’ve cut down on our errors and offensively, I am very happy where we are at hitting the ball.”