Andrews varsity baseball remained perfect after two close games with in-county rivals Murphy.
Both games came down to the final innings as the rivals faced off on the baseball diamond.
Cats win close game
In their first meeting of the season, the Wildcats hosted Murphy in both teams first game after spring break.
Andrews held off the Dogs and won 4-3 in a close game on April 14.
The Cats got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead. Leadoff man Dawson Stalcup got aboard, then scored from second base on a Logan Hyde single.
The Wildcats led 1-0 until the bottom of the second inning, when they added to their lead. On an error, Tanner Postell and Stalcup scored to give Andrews a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the third inning, the Bulldogs got on the board. Konner Dockery scored from third base as Aayden Williams reached first on an error, making it a 3-1 ballgame.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Kelby Waldroup was walked to get on base. He then reached second on a pass ball. From second, he was able to score to give Andrews a 4-1 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Murphy rallied to make it a one-run game.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Peyton Bain reached first on an error and Colton Morgan scored from third to make it 4-2.
Then Carter Adams was walked, scoring Williams from third to make it 4-3. The inning ended on a groundout and ended the Dogs’ rally.
The remainder of the game was scoreless as Ethan Sutton took over for the Wildcats on the mound. The top of the seventh ended with two straight strikeouts and a groundout.
With the win, Andrews remains undefeated at 15-0. This was the Cats’ third one-run win so far this season.
Stalcup led the Cats with two runs on two hits. He also had the team’s only stolen base.
Hyde pitched the first 4.2 innings of the game, giving up three runs on two hits. He notched eight strikeouts in the game.
Sutton pitched 2.1 hitless innings to help the Cats get the win, striking out four of the eight batters he faced.
For the Dogs, Morgan was the only one to have a multi-hit game as he had two hits.
Dockery led the team with two stolen bases, while Kaden Curtis had one.
On the mound, Morgan threw a 98-pitch complete game. He gave up four runs on six hits and hurled six strikeouts.
Cats comeback win
Murphy led early, but a six-run sixth inning rally led the Wildcats to victory on Friday.
The county rivals met again Friday in Murphy and Andrews won 14-10, fueled by a late rally led by Drew Dartez’s three-run homer.
The Dogs took an early lead in the bottom of the second inning as they scored four runs. Andrews then got on the board in the top of the third with one run.
Murphy extended its lead with a three-run fourth inning to lead 7-2.
Andrews then scored one run in the top of the fifth as Murphy led 7-3 through five innings and were looking to close out the game with two innings to play.
With two outs in the top of sixth inning, Dartez sent the ball over the left field wall for a three-run homer, making it a one-run game. Logan Shuler then got on base after being hit by a pitch, then stole his way to third base, then scored the game-tying run on an error.
Brady Queen then hit a RBI single to give Andrews the 8-7 lead. Kelby Waldroup also hit an RbI single to extend Andrews’ lead to 9-7.
Late in the sixth inning, the umpires made a call that had both team’s coaches vouching for it to go their way.
As a result, fans from both teams were asked to move away from the dugouts. Bulldogs head coach Tyler Edwards was ejected by the home plate umpire.
The Dogs went scoreless in the bottom of the sixth inning, then Andrews extended its lead with five runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Murphy tried to make a late rally, but only drove in three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Andrews won 14-10 to sweep its in-county rivals and remain undefeated.
Brady McLelland led the Cats with three runs scored. Dartez and Hyde led the team with three hits.
Dartez led the team with four RBI. McLelland also led the team with five stolen bases on Friday.
Zack Hogsed, Peyton Bain and Evan Wilson led the Dogs with each scoring two runs. Bain and Morgan led the Dogs with three hits each.
Morgan also led the team with three RBI and three stolen bases.
Thursday baseball
Both teams were also in action Thursday as they hit the road out of state.
Andrews remained undefeated as the Wildcats defeated Copper Basin, Tenn., 15-3.
A seven-run fourth inning elevated the Cats over the Cougars in Andrews’ final regular season non-conference game.
The Bulldogs traveled to Union County, Ga., where they fell 8-1 to the Panthers.
The Panthers built a 8-0 lead by the end of the fourth inning and held the Dogs scoreless until they drove in one run in the top of the seventh inning.
Murphy will play its final non-conference game of the regular season as they take on Rabun Gap-Nacoochee, Ga., on Thursday.
Up next
Andrews will be in action at 4:30 p.m. Friday as they host Hayesville. They will then kick off the final regular season series at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on the road at Cherokee.
Murphy will be back in action on the road at Rabun-Gap Nacoochee at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. They will then face Cherokee on the road at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
The Dogs will kick off their last regular season series at home against Robbinsville at 4:30 p.m. onTuesday.