Mavs win region championship

Sullivan East dashes ACHS Spring Fling hopes with 2-0 win in sub-state

May 25, 2022 by Ken Leinart

Anderson County showed its pluck and grit winning the Region 2 AAA championship last Wednesday with a 7-6 win over Gibbs High.

The Mavs, however, were denied a trip to the “Spring Fling” state championship tournament after falling to Sullivan East Friday night, 2-0.

“I think we surprised some folks outside of the team,” Mavs Head Coach Josh Boynton said. “Look at the way we started ... the way the year was kinda up and down for us, but our kids battled. They played hard and they never gave up.”

Alex Bond was almost an epitome of the Anderson County season. He battled through six innings Wednesday for the win. Sometimes it wasn’t exactly pretty, but it was a 100-percent effort.

Bryson Wolfenbarger got the save with a gritty seventh-inning performance.

Senior Wyatt Cox was the tough-luck loser in the sub-state matchup with the Patriots. He allowed just five hits and one earned run — the Patriots’ first run came on an error.

“I really think his (Wyatt Cox) last two starts were the best of the season,” Boynton said.

The rangy left-hander had good enough stuff to win most nights, but Friday the Patriots put Tyson Mitchell on the hill, and his off-speed stuff was working.

Mitchell struck out 15 Anderson County batters. The Mavs threatened in the first inning, but Mitchell got back-to-back strikeouts to see the Mavs strand runners on the corners.

The only other serious threat came in the fifth when the Mavs got a runner as far as third, but not home.

Sullivan East scored an unearned run in the fifth inning, then added a run in the top of the seventh.

Hayden Hartgrove recorded the lone Anderson County hit — a single in the fourth inning.

“Wyatt pitched very well,” Boynton said. “He was rested. He pitched against Carter and had a great game and I felt he was ready for Friday.”

Anderson County finished the season at 21-19.

In Wednesday’s regional championship game, freshman Alex Bond was spotted a 5-1 lead after one inning of play.

With AC trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the frame, Logan Housewright picked up Anderson County’s first RBI of the evening when he plated Wolfenbarger to tie the game. A couple of walks later with the bases loaded, Mav left fielder Thor Williams lined a screamer in the gap to clear the bases, then took advantage of a miscue at third and dashed home for an inside the park grand slam and a 5-1 Maverick lead.

But Gibbs chipped away.

“I thought after that first inning we might run away with it,” Boynton said. “But they fought back and we had a few miscues on the base paths and an error or two, and allowed them to get back in it.”

The Eagles plated a run in the third, two more in the fourth, then tied the game 5-5 in the fifth with a run. The Eagles goy another run in the sixth for a 6-5 lead.

That wouldn’t hold.

On the strength of a Wyatt Cox double in the bottom of the sixth, the Mavs went into the final inning with a 7-6 lead.

“I told the coaches we were going to have to go with Bryson to shut them down,” Boynton said.

“The inning didn’t start the way I wanted it to, but he (Wolfenbarger) got it done.”

The Eagles almost tied the game, but a non-executed suicide squeeze left an Eagle runner standing at home plate with catcher Ty Wilson holding the ball for the second out of the inning. Wolfenbarger coaxed a fly to left where Williams caught it and secured the win.

The region bracket and sub-state games were a special time, Boynton said after the win over Gibbs and the way that game played out, then winning and seeing fireworks after the game.

“It was a special atmosphere for the kids, for the community. To hear those fans like that,” Boynton said.

After the loss to Sullivan East, Boynton said he talked with his younger players.

“We lose a lot after this year — we had nine seniors — but I told our younger kids to remember that feeling, that atmosphere. That’s what we want to have next year.”