Murphy – The Bulldogs are 2-0 in the Smoky Mountain Conference after sweeping Cherokee 17-1 and 11-10 last week.
Colton Morgan and Kenyon Nichols held Cherokee to one run and two hits through five innings in the first game on March 12. The game was called after five innings via the mercy rule; if a team is leading by more than 15 runs after five innings, the game is called.
Murphy started out slow, as the “Diamond Dogs” only scored two runs in the top of the first, but their bats exploded in the second inning for seven more runs. After leadoff singles by Aiden Williams and Hunter Stalcup, Tommy Crapse walked to load the bases.
Alex Rolden singled to score one run. Adam Cook singled to bring in another run, and Zack Skogen walked to load the bases one more time. Cameron Clem cleared the bases with a long single, and Aayden Williams brought him home with a two-out double. Murphy led 9-1 after two as Cherokee’s Josiah Teesateskee scored Cherokee’s lone run.
Murphy added four runs in the third inning and four more in the fifth to net the final. Cherokee (1-4) did have a shot at more runs in the third inning, when the Braves loaded the bases with one out, but Colton Morgan struck out the next two Cherokee batters to strand all three baserunners. Kenyon Nichols came on in the fourth to close the game for the Bulldogs.
Cherokee came to Murphy for the second game Thursday. Things did not look good for the Dogs during the first six innings, as Murphy trailed by as much as nine runs.
Tommy Crapse had a rough start on the mound for the Dogs, as Cherokee jumped on him for six runs. Murphy’s defense didn’t help him out, as they committed two errors in the first inning.
A two-out error extended the inning for Cherokee, as it allowed one run to score and started a rally that accounted for five more runs. Crapse only gave up two earned runs; Hunter Carson relieved him and got the final out.
Cherokee pitcher Emiliano Garcia held Murphy’s bats in check during the first two innings, when he struck out three batters and picked off the only baserunner Murphy had in the first two innings. Carson retired Cherokee in the second with three strikeouts, but he ran into trouble in the third inning.
Cherokee led off the third inning off with a single. Carson hit the next batter, then issued a walk to the one after that to load the bases. It looked as if Carson might get out of the inning, as he struck out the next batter for the second out.
However, that was not to be, as he walked the next run home and Talon Crowe singled to extend the Braves’ lead to 10-0. Murphy went to their third pitcher in three innings, as Alex Roldan came in to stop the damage, getting three outs and stranding three Cherokee runners.
Murphy finally got on the board in the bottom of the third inning after Hunter Stalcup hit a one-out single. With two outs, Roldan and Adam Cook reached on Cherokee errors to score Stalcup. A passed ball then allowed the two Murphy runners to advance.
Zack Skogen walked to load the bases, and Cameron Clem singled to score Rolden and Cook. Murphy started chipping away at the Cherokee lead, cutting it to seven with Cherokee up 10-3.
Roldan held the Braves in check for the next four innings, as he only allowed two runs off two hits, both of those coming in the third inning. He struck out six Braves and walked five. The only problem was Murphy didn’t get Garcia figured out until the sixth inning.
Murphy added one more run in the fourth inning to make it 10-4, but went down in order in the fifth. Zach Skogen reached base on a Cherokee error to lead off the sixth. Cameron Clem walked and Colton Morgan singed to score both of them. Morgan later scored off a sacrifice fly off the bat of Aayden Williams to cut Cherokee’s lead to 10-7.
The Bulldogs’ rally in the seventh started with a Crapse walk, then Roldan reached on an error. A passed ball by the new Cherokee pitcher put both runners into scoring position before Adam Cook delivered with a single to drive in two runs to tie the game at 10 apiece to close out the inning.
After holding Cherokee scoreless, Stalcup was hit by a pitch to get on base. Crapse moved him to second on a sacrifice fly, and Alex Roldan singled to send Stalcup home for the winning run. Roldan not only got the winning base hit, but he was also the winning pitcher, as he went six innings giving up two runs on two hits, striking out five and walking two.
The Dogs are 2-0 and in first place in the Smoky Mountain Conference. Murphy’s next game is at home, where they will play host to Andrews on Tuesday, March 26. First pitch is at 4:30 p.m.