Coal Creek opens play
18U squad splits four games to launch its summer campaign
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Coal Creek 18U starting pitcher Hayden Ault delivers to the plate during a summer baseball game against the Sweetwater Blue Sox on Thursday, June 4. Ault worked four innings for Coal Creek, throwing 63 pitches while facing 21 batters. - Tony Cox
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Coal Creek second baseman Eli Ledford leaps to snag a high throw over second base as a Sweetwater Blue Sox base runner slides underneath during a summer baseball game Thursday, June 4. - Tony Cox
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Coal Creek’s Aiden Walker dives safely back to first base ahead of a tag attempt during last Thursday’s baseball game against the Sweetwater Blue Sox. Walker went 1-for-2 and scored a run for Coal Creek in a 6-2 loss. - Tony Cox
The Coal Creek 18U baseball team opened its summer season with mixed results last week, splitting four games.
Coal Creek (2-2) opened the campaign with a doubleheader sweep of William Blount in Maryville on June 2, winning the opener 2-1 before taking the nightcap 5-3.
The highlight of the evening came in Game 1, when Coal Creek pitcher Jack Wilson tossed a complete-game no-hitter. Wilson worked all five innings, allowing one unearned run and four walks while striking out five.
He also contributed on the bases with a stolen base.
William Blount scored its lone run in the bottom of the first inning before Coal Creek answered in the third. Carter Daugherty drew a bases-loaded walk to force home the tying run.
Coal Creek, comprising players from Anderson County High School, took the lead for good in the fourth inning when Cooper Smith delivered an RBI single. Smith paced the offense by going 2-for-2 and driving in the game-winning run.
Coal Creek rallied again in Game 2 after falling behind 1-0 in the first inning. The visitors tied the game in the second and took the lead with a run in the third.
William Blount responded with two runs in the bottom of the third to regain the advantage, but Coal Creek answered with three runs in the fourth to secure the victory.
Wilson went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Elijah Johnson doubled, walked and scored a run, while Landry Sharp doubled and crossed the plate. Eli Ledford did not record an official at-bat but drove in two runs and scored once after being hit by a pitch and hitting a sacrifice fly.
On Thursday, Coal Creek hosted Sweetwater and dropped both games of a doubleheader, falling 6-2 in the opener before losing 7-5 in the nightcap.
In Game 1, Coal Creek grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a wild pitch and extended the advantage to 2-0 in the second when Smith delivered an RBI single.
Reese Young and Conner Dabney each doubled. Dabney also scored a run, while Aiden Walker had a hit and scored.
Coal Creek nearly rallied in the second game but came up short.
Wesley Howard went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Will Goerhing doubled and scored, while Daugherty collected two hits, including a double, and scored a run.
