It was a winning week for the baseball and softball teams of Hiwassee Dam, as both swept Cherokee to get back into the win column.
Baseball
It was nearly a month since the Eagles got a win, but that changed when they defeated Cherokee on April 1. With their 6-4 win over the Braves, the Eagles snapped a nine-game winless drought.
The Eagles started the game with three runs in the bottom of the first inning and maintained the lead until Cherokee scored four runs in the top of the fourth. The Eagles quickly regained the lead with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The score stayed at 6-4, and the Eagles secured their first win in almost a month.
After their win, head coach Tommy Strickland said, “Overall we played well. There were a few defensive breakdowns, but we were able to overcome them. Offensively, we had a productive day.”
Speaking on Crisp’s compete-game performance on the mound, Strickland said, “Isaiah had an outstanding day. I challenged him to go as far and as hard as he could, and he was able to pitch a complete game. He stayed ahead of hitters and was in control all day.”
Strickland added that they will use the momentum from the win to motivate the team for the rest of the season and to play at their potential.
Thursday, they wrapped up their week by traveling to Cherokee to play the Braves in the second game of the home-and-home series.
The Eagles doubled down and picked up their second straight win and second conference win.
The Eagles won 2-1 and scored a run in both the first and last inning of the game.
They got a quick start with one run in the top of the first and led 1-0 until Cherokee tied the game in the bottom of the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, the Eagles took a 2-1 lead then shut down Cherokee in the bottom of the seventh to win the game.
Softball
The Lady Eagles bounced back after being swept by Robbinsville last week to get a win over Cherokee on April 1.
In their first of two games against the Lady Braves, Hiwassee Dam got the win 16-1 in a game that only lasted four innings.
The Lady Eagles jumped ahead early with four run in each of the opening two innings to lead 8-0. They added on two more run in the bottom of the third to lead 10-0.
Cherokee got on the board with one run in the top of the fourth, but the Lady Eagles ended the game with a six-run rally in the bottom of the fourth to win. Their second matchup Thursday was lower scoring, as they won 4-0.
The Eagles got an early lead with one run in the top of the first inning. They extended their lead in the top of the third, then added one more run in the top of the sixth to win 4-0 in their second straight win.
Up next
Upon their return from spring break, the baseball team will host Towns County, Ga., at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 14, for their only game of the week.
The Lady Eagles will have a four-game week kicking off April 21. They will kick it off at home in a doubleheader against Copper Basin, Tenn., on Monday, April 21. The first game will start at 4 p.m., and the second game will start shortly after the conclusion of the first game.
On Tuesday, April 22, the Eagles baseball and softball teams will travel to Konehete Veterans Park to take on their in-county rivals Murphy. First pitch for both games is at 4:30 p.m.
Then to wrap up the week, they will host the Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 25.