Ridgers fall to Central in district championship
Bobcats only league team to beat Wildcats in 2023
Wildcat Tyler Pickens slides back to first base on a pickoff attempt against Powell in the District 3-4A Tournament. (photo:Ken Leinart )
The Wildcats (21-12) dropped the championship game to Knoxville Central 2-0 on Monday night.
The Bobcats (20-11) were the only district team to defeat the Wildcats in 2023.
The two teams split the regular-season series and Central took a pair of tournament games en route to claiming the district championship.
Central’s Cole Wessell, a left-hander, went 5.1 innings on the mound.
He allowed five hits and one walk, while striking out seven.
Miles Johnson closed the game and earned his second save of the district tournament.
For Oak Ridge, John Ulreich threw a complete game, going seven innings.
He gave up two runs, five hits and five walks, and he struck out six hitters.
Eddie Tan and Caden Black each had two hits for the Wildcats in the championship game.
Oak Ridge advanced to the title game with a 10-4 victory over second-seeded Powell earlier Monday night.
That game began Sunday but was suspended due to rain with the Wildcats leading 8-0 in the third inning.
Oak Ridge, which scored three runs in the first, two more in the second, and three more in the third Sunday before the rains came, scored two more in the third on Monday, picking up where they left off.
Black went 1-for-2 with three runs and a stolen base.
Mikee Teasley went 1-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base.
Richie Ferreira had four hits, a run scored and three RBIs.
Jacob Franklin was 2-for-3, with a run, an RBI and a stolen base.
Jason Slay came up with a hit and two RBIs.
After winning its tournament opener against Karns, 2-0, on Thursday, ORHS squandered a 3-0 lead and fell to the Bobcats 5-3 in nine innings in a high noon showdown on Saturday.
Central and the Wildcats will advance to this week’s Region 2-4A Tournament.