Wildcats repeat as district champs
For the second-consecutive season, Oak Ridge High School has captured the District 3-4A baseball championship.
The Wildcats (30-7), the tournament’s top seed, secured the title with a 4-2 victory over second-seeded Powell Monday night at Bobby Hopkins Field.
With the win, Oak Ridge hosts the Region 2-4A tournament later this week and enters the next phase of the postseason riding a four-game winning streak.
Oak Ridge, which claimed its first district tournament title in more than two decades last season, swept through this year’s bracket with three straight wins. The run followed a victory in its regular-season finale against Coalfield.
The Wildcats sealed the championship when Peyton Witter launched a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie.
Warren East, Oak Ridge’s leadoff hitter, went 2-for-3 with a double, three stolen bases and two runs scored. Parker Free was also 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
On Sunday, the Wildcats routed Powell 11-1 in six innings to send the Panthers into the losers’ bracket.
Mikee Teasley went 2-for-2 with a double, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored. Richie Ferreira added three hits and three RBIs, including a home run. He also scored twice. Cy Stephens went 1-for-2 with a homer and two RBIs.
Oak Ridge opened the tournament Thursday with a dramatic 1-0, nine-inning win over Knoxville Halls. Free delivered the game-winning RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Kam Welch and Witter combined for a five-hit shutout in the opener. Halls struck out 19 times in the loss.
