Eagles can’t stop streak

    Hiwassee Dam – No one likes to lose. When the losses start to pile up, that can take a toll on a team.
    That’s the situation the Hiwassee Dam baseball team has found itself in so far in 2021. After beating Robbinsville to start the season, the Eagles have lost seven straight, including a 12-0 defeat to Murphy on May 18.
    Head coach Jerry Kilpatrick has tried to remain optimistic, looking for signs that his team isn’t giving up and is close to a breakthrough. But even for someone as positive as Kilpatrick, it was hard for him to keep the same frame of mind after this defeat.
    “I hate to say it, but I saw some giving up, not making plays that they normally make,” Kilpatrick said. “We’ve run them plays time and time again. Infield whatever and they make them fine. Today, it just didn’t work.”
    After beating the Black Knights to start the season, Hiwassee Dam dropped a doubleheader to defending Smoky Mountain Conference champion Rosman where neither game was competitive. The Eagles had a chance to bounce back, but lost two winnable games to Andrews and Cherokee.
    Against the Wildcats, Hiwassee Dam led 20-9 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before Andrews scored six runs in the fifth and nine in the sixth and held on for a 24-23 win. Against the Indians, the Eagles led 4-2 into the bottom of the sixth before Cherokee rallied for a 5-4 walkoff win.
    The losing continued against Hayesville and Murphy, who are first and second in the Smoky Mountain Conference standings. Against the Yellow Jackets, Kilpatrick thought his team competed the whole game despite losing 9-0. He didn’t see the same resolve against Murphy.
    “It just breaks my heart to see them not playing the way they can play,” Kilpatrick said. “It really does.”
    Hiwassee Dam only had one hit against Murphy, but still had some chances in the early innings before the Bulldogs pulled away late. Briggs Cornwell made his varsity pitching debut for Murphy, and struggled with command in his three innings of work.
    In the bottom of the first, Evan Hedrick lead off with a walk and made it to third on two wild pitches. After two strikeouts, Michael Simms walked. Neither came home, as Cornwell struck out Clay Davis to end the inning.
    After Murphy scored three in the top of the first, Dominick Rumler reached after a misplayed bunt with one out and stole second. But when Cornwell tried to pick him off, Rumler got caught in a rundown and was tagged out in between second and third.
    Then in the third inning, Cornwell hit Hedrick and walked Connor Davis with one out. Neither came around to score. The Bulldogs would add another run in the fifth, then four each in the sixth and seventh to cruise to a second straight win.
    With five games left in the season, the only thing Hiwassee Dam can do is keep going. Kilpatrick said he’ll continue to believe the kids and knows they can be better than their record. He’s seen it in practice. Now it’s about applying it to the game.
    “If we played the way we practice and what I know they can do, the scores would be entirely different,” Kilpatrick said. “I know what they can do, I saw them do it.”