Murphy – Three games, three days and three wins for the Murphy baseball team. In their final week before spring break, Murphy turned away Andrews 13-6 on April 4, then Robbinsville 5-0 the next day before coming back to beat the Wildcats again 8-1 on Thursday.
Heading into the break, the Bulldogs are 7-5 overall and 6-0 in the Smoky Mountain Conference, tied for first atop the conference standings with Hayesville (6-1, 6-0).
In the first contest against Andrews (1-9, 1-7), Murphy committed five errors, which helped offset an otherwise stellar pitching performance from Cole Laney, Robert Turner and Mason Cook, who combined for 17 strikeouts. The Bulldogs trailed 6-4 after four innings before rallying for two in the top of the fifth and sixth, then five in the seventh to finish off the win. Isaac Cole powered the Murphy offense with two homers and six runs batted in, while Laney and Cook along with Cole had three-hit games.
After a huge day offensively, Cole turned around the next day against the Black Knights (3-7, 2-4) and threw a complete game shutout. He struck out 10 batters and scattered six hits and two walks across seven innings. It was Murphy’s first shutout of the season, and came on a day when the Bulldogs offense was kept in check with just four hits. Three of those hits, though, were home runs. Cook, Ty Laney and Turner each hit their first home run of the season.
Following some drama against the Wildcats earlier in the week, Murphy controlled the rematch from start to finish. Andrews could never get a handle on Turner on the mound, as the freshman allowed just two hits and struck out 11 batters in six and one-third innings pitched.
After the Wildcats couldn’t score with runners on second and third with one out to start the fame and Murphy couldn’t capitalize on runners on first and second with nobody out in the second, the Bulldogs
broke through for two runs in the bottom of the third. Cook scored on a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly to deep center-field by Cole brought home Cole Laney. Murphy would add another run in the fourth after Zach Skogen doubled with one out, stole third and then came around to score on a wild pitch.
The Bulldogs would add three more runs in the bottom of the fifth, chasing Andrews starting pitcher Isaac Weaver in the process. Turner led off the inning with a walk and would steal second, then moved to third on a single from Cole. Both would come around to score on a two-run double by Ty Laney. Laney would then score on an RBI double from John Ledford.
An RBI single by Braxton Rickett in the top of the sixth inning got Andrews on the board and cut Murphy’s lead to 6-1, only for the Bulldogs to put two more runs across in the bottom of the inning. Turner started the rally with a one out walk, then stole second before scoring on an RBI double by Cole Laney. Laney would later score when his twin brother, Ty, reached on an error.
After a week off for spring break, Murphy was back in action against Cherokee County rival Hiwassee Dam (4-6, 3-3). The game against the Eagles starts the back loaded portion of the Bulldogs’ conference schedule, as their first six games were against teams that are currently in the fifth through seventh spots in the conference standings.
Their final six games are against the other teams besides Murphy who make up the top four in the standings. The same four teams – Swain County, Murphy, Hayesville and Hiwassee Dam – also made up the top four of the conference standings last season.