Farragut-Bearden

B2 The Knoxville Journal Friday, May 14, 1982

Admirals capitalize on errors, win 8-3

Farragut moves on to state quarterfinals

By STEVE WILLIAMS
Journal Sports Writer
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Bearden self-destructed and Farragut’s opportunistic Admirals picked up the pieces for an 8-3 win over the error-prone Bulldogs in the Region 2-AAA baseball championship game Thursday at UT’s Lower Hudson Field.
The victory vaulted Farragut (22-4) into the TSSAA State Quarterfinals. The Admirals will go on the road Monday to play Morristown East, a 2-1 winner over Jonesboro Crockett, in the Region 1-AAA finals. Farragut and Morristown East (26-9) will clash at Morristown’s Sherwood Park at 7:30 p.m.
Bearden, leading 2-0, came apart in the fourth, committing four errors in the nightmarish inning and falling behind 5-2. They never recovered. For the game, the Bulldogs, who hang up a 23-9 record, were guilty of seven errors. Six of Farragut’s runs were unearned.
"This was a super win for us," said Farragut Coach John Heatherly. "Our kids kept the pressure on them. We bunted well and ran the bases well. It took its toll on them."
Bearden skipper Gary Mahoney said he hated to see the season end on such a sour note.
"We kicked the ball all over the infield. Farragut has too good of a team to do that. We had played well in the tournament up until today. But I bet we made more errors in this one game than we had made in the past 12 or 13 games.
Farragut collected only five hits off Bearden pitchers Mark Snyder and Greg Williams, but little Craig Schnupp swung a big bat for the Admirals. The 5-6, 145-pound junior walloped a 370-foot two-run homer off the 6-5, 220-pound Snyder that tied the game early in Farragut’s big fourth inning explosion.
"I wasn’t thinking home run," admitted Schnupp, who had not hit a HR this season. "I was just trying to get a hit. The home run surprised me."
Jeff Glover went the distance to claim the mound win, his 12th against one loss. He scattered 10 hits and struck out eight. "He showed a lot of guts out there for a junior," said Heatherly.
Neil Mary went three-for-four to lead Bearden at the plate. Schnupp also doubled and Pat Dorwin had two hits as well for the Admirals.
The Bulldogs struck for two unearned runs after two outs in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. Jimmy Bailey singled and scored on Mary’s double when Admiral catcher Randy Huffaker dropped the ball before making the tag on Bailey at the plate. Snyder followed with a single to drive in Mary.
Snyder, UT signee and regarded highly by pro scouts, did not allow a hit through the first three innings. The Bulldog ace struck out David Mowery to open the fourth but catcher Todd Rechenbach let the ball get past him and first baseman Freddie Grubbs couldn’t handle the throw, allowing Mowery to get aboard. It was a sign of things to come.
Schnupp followed with his homer to even the score at 2-2. Three consecutive errors by Bearden infielders followed. A wild pitch allowed Bob Gaylor to score. Bill Clements’ perfect suicide squeeze allowed Greg Schwartz to score. A single to shallow centerfield by Kenny Woodhull brought home Jeff Sexton.
"That inning was the ball game," Mahoney pointed out afterwards.
A double by Snyder and a triple by Jimbo Hodge cut the Farragut margin to 5-3 in the fifth, but Bearden continued to experience problems in the field as the Admirals pushed across two more unearned runs in the fifth to go up 7-3. Williams’ pickoff attempt at second base sailed into centerfield, allowing Schwartz and Sexton to race home.
Mowery doubled in Dorwin in the sixth for Farragut’s final run. Bearden failed to advance a runner past second base against Glover in the final two innings.
The Admirals will be the home team in the state semifinals and finals, should they advance that far.
BEARDEN.............002 010 0—3 10 7
FARRAGUT..........000 521 0—8 5 2
Snyder, Williams (5) and Rechenbach; Glover and Huffaker.