Hiwassee Dam – After losing their first game of the season, the Hiwassee Dam varsity baseball team played their first home game and defeated Copper Basin, Tenn. They wrapped up their week by taking on Towns County, Ga.
The Eagles opened their season March 3 by taking on Tellico Plains, Tenn. They fell 23-4 in their first game of the season.
On March 4, the Eagles won their home opener 15-6 against Copper Basin, Tenn.
The Cougars got the scoring started with two runs in the top of the first. In the second half of the first inning, the Eagles tied it up.
After they loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, Cole Elliot was walked and the Eagles scored their first run. With the bases still loaded, Nick Sorbera was hit by a pitch to walk in the game-tying run to make it 2-2 heading to the second inning.
Copper Basin loaded the bases on a hit and back-to-back walks, then hit a grand slam to take a 6-2 lead in the top of the second.
Their lead didn’t last long. Dailon Defalco got on base before Trenton Beavers hit a ground ball past the third baseman to drive in a run.
Abel Penland was later hit by a pitch to load the bases. Dalton Kester was walked to bring home a run, then Pace Ware was hit by a pitch to bring in another run to make a one-run game.
For the second batter in a row, Brock Hyde was hit by a pitch to bring in the game-tying run. Defalco was then walked to give the Eagles a one-run lead through two innings.
After Cole pitched two complete innings on the mound, Isaiah Crisp took over on the mound to start the third inning. Crisp struck out the first two batters, then the inning ended on a ground out.
The Eagles were heating up in the second inning, but didn’t catch fire until the third.
After two walks to start the inning, Kester drove the ball to left field for a RBI double. With still no outs, Crisp walked to load the bases. After two straight walks, the Eagles led 10-6.
Hyde singled to give the Eagles the 11-6 lead. After another single and three straight walks, the Eagles led 15-6.
The sun was setting behind the trees on the chilly, windy night as the fourth inning started.
Crisp stayed on the mound, but they made multiple positional changes. Down to their final out, Crisp ended the game with a strikeout to earn the Eagles their first win of the season.
Eagles head coach Tommy Strickland said it felt good to get the first win of the season over Cooper Basin.
“It feels really good. They played together as a team, we had good pitching, we had good hitting, and we had good defense and those are the things you look for, which is why we play games like this to start with.”
Strickland said that there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to adjustments they will make moving forward.
“I’m not really sure. I have a lot of unknowns,” he said. “I have a lot of freshmen who are going to have big roles, so we kind of have to fine-tune that at this point.”
Strickland added that Cole and Crisp stood out for their pitching performances.
“They zoned in and did an awesome job. Everybody did,” he said. “This was a total team effort, without a doubt.”
On Friday, the Eagles took on their third straight out-of-state opponent as they traveled to Towns County, Ga., falling to the Indians 20-0 to wrap up their week.
Up next for the Eagles, they will travel to Copper Basin, Tenn., for the second game of their home-and-home series with the Cougars at 5 p.m. Thursday. On Friday, they return home at 4:30 p.m. to take on Swain County.