Strong performances mark ACHS, CHS tournament runs
Addison Grooms claimed an 8-1 win for the Lady Mavericks against White County on Saturday at the Gibbs Invitational weekend tournament at Caswell Park in Knoxville. Grooms pitched 5.1 innings and had 42 strikes on 62 pitches. - Tony Cox
Both Anderson County and Clinton high school softball teams competed over the weekend in the Gibbs Invitational, one of East Tennessee’s premier tournaments.
Anderson County went 3-0 in the event, posting wins over Tipton-Rosemark Academy, Union City and White County.
Clinton picked up a win over Christian Academy of Knoxville before falling to Mt. Juliet and Science Hill.
The Lady Mavericks opened tournament play Friday afternoon in Corryton,
They overcame a rough start in the opener, rallying from a 6-0 deficit to defeat Tipton-Rosemark 7-6 in walk-off fashion. Freshman Cindle Justice delivered the game-winning single.
Senior centerfielder and leadoff hitter Kaycee Baldwin went 1-for-3 with a run and a stolen base.
Freshman Bella Brummett was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and one RBI. Reece Brock singled and scored, while Alli McKamey added a hit and an RBI.
Clinton shotputter Kenzlee Hutchison captured first place at the Christian Academy of Knoxville meet with a throw of 29 feet.
As the Clinton High School track and field teams entered last week, Coach Tim Kumes could hardly contain his excitement.
He certainly had plenty to be enthused about, as the Dragons and Lady Dragons are both in the midst of their best season in years.
Clinton also welcomed back several of its top athletes from injury ahead of the Warrior Invitational at Christian Academy of Knoxville on Tuesday, April 8.
At CAK, the Lady Dragons won the shot put behind junior Kenzlee Hutchison, who posted a mark of 29 feet. Teammate Hannah Whittley finished fourth with a throw of 24 feet, 4 inches.
Clinton’s 4x100-meter relay team took second place, finishing in 54.64 seconds. Ashleigh Alcott notched a pair of Top 5 finishes in the hurdles, placing third in the 300-meter hurdles (1:02.24) and fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (23.07).
Saviah Stewart placed sixth in the 200-meter dash (29.13) and eighth in the 100 (13.81). Distance runner Alli Hollifield took eighth in the 800 (2:56.49) and 10th in the 1,600 (6:09.45). Sadie Haney placed 10th in the long jump (13-10), and Chalandra Ellis was 10th in the discus (50-11.5).
Jackson Barrett earned the win for the Dragons in the first game of a doubleheader against Scott on Tuesday, April 8. Barrrett struck out six of the 11 batters faced in the three-inning game. Clinton won 12-0. - Tony Cox
Mother Nature disrupted Clinton High School’s baseball schedule last week, but the Dragons still managed to make some noise on the field.
Clinton (10-14 overall, 4-2 in District 4-AAA) had its doubleheader against Scott High postponed on Monday, April 7, and saw its Friday matchup against Knoxville Grace Christian Academy rained out.
But the Dragons were able to host the Highlanders for a district doubleheader Tuesday, April 8, at Jaycee Park, and they made short work of their visitors.
Clinton swept the twinbill, winning both games in just three innings.
In Game 1, the Dragons rolled to a 12-0 victory behind a dominant performance from pitcher Jackson Barrett, who tossed a one-hit shutout.
Anderson County’s Trent Strickland had a home run and a double during the Mavericks’ Wednesday, April 9, game against Union County.
Weather disrupted the Mavericks’ schedule, postponing the first game of their two-game District 4-AAA series against Union County.
That game was made up Tuesday, April 8, and Anderson County came away with an 8-3 victory.
ACHS starting pitcher Wil Ridenour delivered a strong outing, going 6.2 innings. He surrendered three unearned runs on two hits and four walks while striking out eight.
Jeremiah Owens recorded the final out with a strikeout and also contributed at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.
Easton Beaty led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a triple, three RBIs and a run. Blake Lowe singled and scored, while Benson, the leadoff hitter, finished 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Alex Bond added two singles and scored.
The Patriots bounced back in the series finale on Wednesday, April 9, rallying from a 4-0 deficit to edge the Mavericks 5-4.
Trent Strickland had a home run and a double for Anderson County. He scored twice and drove in two runs. Benson added a double and scored twice.
Anderson County High School’s baseball team closed out the week with a 10-3 loss to Whitley County (Kentucky) on Saturday.
Ty Wilson went 2-for-2 with a double for the Mavericks, while Nolan Benson was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Oak Ridge High School’s baseball team entered the week riding an eight-game winning streak.
The Wildcats, however, faced one final District 3-4A test with a home-and-home series against Karns — their last league matchup of the regular season.
Oak Ridge (21-4 overall, 7-1 in the district) was set to play the Beavers on Monday and Tuesday. Results were unavailable at press time, but Karns has struggled in district play this season.
“We have two (district) games this week where we’re the better team on paper,” Wildcats Coach Travis Free said.
“If we can win those games, we’ll be in line for the district championship, and we’ll make the road to the state tournament go through Oak Ridge for as long as possible.”
The Wildcats capped last week with a 4-3 non-district win over Hardin Valley Academy on Friday at Bobby Hopkins Field. The Hawks could be a regional opponent if both teams reach the Region 2-4A Tournament.
The Oak Ridge High School track and field teams turned in a slate of impressive performances Saturday at the Farragut Invitational, one of East Tennessee’s premier meets.
Amaijah Bishop tied for second in the high jump alongside teammate Emily Edwards, as both Lady Wildcats cleared 4 feet, 6 inches. Bishop also finished fourth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1 minute, 2.88 seconds. Edwards took second in her heat of the 800-meter run, clocking in at 2:24.54.
In the same event, Natalie Adams placed eighth in her heat (2:35.76), while Elly Hartman won another heat in 2:40.60. Brooke Taylor followed in second (2:45.18), Robyn Greenhalgh finished fourth (2:47.67), and Odelia Kneiser came in seventh (2:54.64).
Lily Tice finished ninth in the 1600-meter run (5:51.31), and Hartman took 10th (5:53.06).
Oak Ridge’s girls relay squads captured victories in both the 4x400 and 4x800 events, while placing third in the 4x100. In field events, Zya Watson claimed eighth in the long jump with a mark of 13 feet, 2 inches.
Anderson County’s Joe Hall had a big day at the McCallie Midsouth Invitational meet in Chattanooga. The Mavericks jumper and sprinter finished first in the long jump with a distance of 21 feet, 7.25 inches, and finished 10th in the 400-meter run.
A trip to Chattanooga yielded strong performances for the Anderson County High School track and field teams Saturday.
The Mavericks and Lady Mavericks competed in the McCallie Mid-South Invitational.
In the girls meet, Ava Moody notched a pair of Top 3 finishes. She placed second in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 11 minutes, 11.38 seconds, and was third in the 800 with a time of 2:21.21.
Bralee Hall added a pair of ninth-place finishes in the 100-meter dash (13.78) and the 800 (2:38.69).
In the boys competition, Joseph Hall won the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, 7.25 inches. He also finished 10th in the 400 (54.84).
Waylon LaRue had a strong sprint showing, placing third in the 200 (22.68) and fifth in the 100 (11.02).
Luke Dark posted podium and top-five finishes in field events. He was second in the shot put (57-8) and fifth in the discus (141-6).
Distance runner Vance Laster turned in a third-place effort in the 800 (1:59.58) and finished seventh in the 1,600 (4:26.49). John Cutler followed in seventh place in the 800 (2:04.77), while Avian Laster was ninth in the 3,200 (11:19.65).
The Mavericks also placed sixth in both the 4x100 relay (44.67) and the 4x400 relay (3:50.90).
Aiden Ortiz’s walk-off single capped a dramatic 11-inning comeback as Clinton Middle School outlasted county rival Norris Middle 9-8 Monday night at Jaycee Park.
The four-hour marathon ended when Ortiz lined a single to centerfield, scoring Isaac Keeton and erasing what had been an 8-6 deficit entering the bottom of the 11th.
“Hats off to Norris,” said CMS Coach Jake Lowe. “We expected to face a strong team and that’s what they brought. I’m proud of our guys for their grit and team spirit.”
Norris took an early 1-0 lead before Clinton responded with three runs in the bottom of the first. Elijah Barker delivered a two-run single, and Elliott Benvenuto added an RBI groundout.
The Hawks extended their lead to 5-2 in the third when Ortiz drew a bases-loaded walk
Norris rallied to tie the game 5-5 in the fifth on Riley Kincaid’s two-run double and a run-scoring dropped third strike.
Memphis Hill’s RBI single gave Norris a 6-5 advantage in the seventh, but Jaxon Lowe forced extra innings with a two-out, game-tying single.
Norris scored twice in the top of the 11th before Clinton mounted its final rally. Jarred Pacinos drew a leadoff walk and later scored on an error, setting the stage for Ortiz’s heroics.
Colton Wright pitched seven relief innings for Clinton, allowing six hits and five earned runs while striking out eight. Lucas Parfitt started, striking out six in 3.2 innings while yielding two unearned runs. Barker and Wright each had two hits for the Hawks, who drew nine walks and stole five bases.
Anderson County’s Kaycee Baldwin had a big night against crosstown foe Clinton. The senior slugger was 3-for-4 with two triples, an RBI and a run scored. Anderson County won the Monday night meeting 9-6. - Tony Cox
Anderson County High School softball notched one of its biggest wins under first-year Head Coach Lindsey Verner Monday night.
The Lady Mavericks defeated crosstown rival Clinton 9-6 in a slugfest at ACHS, claiming their second victory in three matchups this season against the Lady Dragons.
With the win, Anderson County (18-8 overall, 4-2 in District 4-AAA) salvaged a season split in district play. The Lady Mavericks also beat Clinton in an earlier tournament game.
Senior leadoff hitter and centerfielder Kaycee Baldwin paced the offense, going 3-for-4 with two triples, a run scored and an RBI.
“She really sets the tone,” Verner said. “Every inning that she’s up, she makes something happen.”
Clinton FC soccer continued its season early last week and came away with a hard-fought draw.
The Dragons held a 3-2 lead before Cedar Bluff Yellow was awarded a penalty kick as time expired. The visitors converted, resulting in a 3-3 tie at Dragon Stadium on Monday, March 31.
“We had the win, and they got a penalty kick with no time on the clock — and they made it,” Clinton Coach Jake McMurray said. “We played great.
“We were able to move the ball down the field and cross it into the box. Our defense is always great. Defender Jack Hazuda did well. He enables us to play the high line, and I want to give a shoutout to our keeper, Spencer Smith — he made 10 or 11 good saves.”
Clinton also conceded an own goal against Cedar Bluff.
Samuel McMurray scored twice for the Dragons, and Fabio Espinosa added a goal. Jordan Cuevas and Juan Camillo Zorro Castano each had an assist.
Clinton hosted Knoxville Halls on Monday (results were not available at press time) and will travel to face Jefferson County on Thursday.
