Admirals Navigate to State Class AAA Title
By BILL LUTHER
News-Sentinel Sportswriter
It could not have been a sweeter ending to a high school athletic career for Jeff Sexton.
Sexton, Farragut’s designated hitter, strolled to the plate with two out in the fifth inning Wednesday. He was hitless in 10 at-bats in state tournament action.
The stocky Sexton, who missed early season play after knee surgery, doubled over Memphis Christian Brothers left-fielder Scott Elliott to drive in the decisive run in a 4-3 triumph on Lower Hudson Field that gave Farragut the Classs AAA baseball title.
The blow, misjudged by Elliott, scored Randy Huffaker from first and gave the Admirals a 4-1 lead. Reliever Mike Jordan weathered CBHS’ threats over the last four innings.
Farragut, which had never won a state title in any TSSAA-sanctioned team sport until the girls’ team copped the crown Tuesday, became the first school to capture baseball and softball championships in the same season.
It is the first state baseball title for a Knoxville Interscholastic League team since Central won in 1973.
"That was a heck of a way to go out," said Sexton. "At times I’ve hit the ball well but I’ve been in a slump most of the season. I had gotten down on myself but this one hit makes up a lot."
Jordan, who came on with runners on first and second and one out in the fourth, earned his fourth win against no losses to go along with his 14 saves, a state single-season record.
The senior right-hander allowed the four CBHS singles, striking out two and walking one.
After replacing Greg Schwartz, Jordan fanned Chris Pretti, but Mike Haag singled to load the bases.
He appeared to be out of the jam when Jay Rogers hit a high bouncer to third baseman Craig Schnupp. Tim Moran scored when Schnupp attempted to make the unassisted force at third and all runners were safe.
CBHS got its other runs in the fifth on a pair of hits and two errors. Jordan escaped without further damage when a suicide squeeze by the Purple Wave backfired and Mike Blackburn was out at home.
In the seventh, Jordan walked the leadoff hitter but stranded the tying run at third by getting Mike Hammett on a shallow fly to right.
Farragut jumped on CBHS starter Denver Dahlke for three runs in the top of the first. Speedy lead-off hitter Pat Dorwin beat the throw to first on a sharply hit two-hopper to shortstop Blackburn.
Or did he?
"My foot was just coming down on the bag when I heard the ball hit the first baseman’s mitt," Dorwin said. "I was out, but the ump called me safe and I heard the first baseman groan. I knew right then and there we we’re going to win."
The All-KIL outfielder moved around to third on a sacrifice and error, then scored on Bobby Gaylor’s RBI single. A force-out set up Schwartz’s two-run single to right and an early 3-0 Admiral lead.
The Admirals, winding up with a 26-5 record, got their eight hits off Dahlke (5-1) before Jay Rogers relieved in the sixth. CBHS went from unbeaten coming in to finish at 26-2.
"We got what we wanted (three-plus innings) from Schwartz," said John Heatherly, Farragut coach. "Greg is a real competitor ... He comes to play. I felt we might have a little edge in pitching even though they had some innings left in both starters from Tuesday."
Heatherly said, "We expected the squeeze. I knew it was coming. Jordan picked it up and threw high and tight too the batter (Pretti) and we executed. I also knew we had to get an early lead to take the bunt away from them."
"The suicide squeeze was the difference," said CBHS coach Robert Crone, who has taken teams to the finals three times without winning. "Just look at the scoreboard. You have to execute to beat a team like Farragut. You don’t make mistakes (the Wave had another runner picked off first base) and win against this caliber of competition. Denver (Dahlke) had some shoddy support."
THE JACKPOT
FARRAGUT MEMPHIS CBHS
AB R H BI AB R H BI
Dorwin LF 3 1 1 0 Bennett 2B 3 1 1 0
Mowery CF 3 0 2 0 Elliott LF 2 1 0 0
Huffaker C 4 2 0 0 Blackburn SS 4 0 1 2
Gaylor SS 3 1 1 0 Moran C 2 1 0 0
Sexton DH 4 1 1 1 Hammett CF 3 0 0 0
Schwartz P-RF 3 0 1 2 Pretti 1B 2 0 0 0
Schnupp 3B 3 0 1 0 Haag DH-3B 3 0 1 0
Rennie PR 0 0 0 0 Rogers 3B-P 3 0 1 0
Clements 1B 3 0 1 0 Strong PR 0 0 0 0
Woodhull 2B 2 0 0 0 Bryan RF 2 0 0 0
Totals
I played for Karns against this team back in the day. I always thought we had a better overall team then FHS in 1982, but they beat us when it counted. My memories of the 1982 team were that they had two guys who were studs and the rest were guys who played above their skill level for that spring. The studs, Glover and Gaylor. Man, Glover was unhittable when he was on. Sometimes in summer ball he would walk the yard and hit a 3 or 4 guys, but that spring he was on fire. Threw like 95 mph. Crazy. Gaylor was the best fielding shortstop in high school I ever saw. Period. Was fast and batted 4th. Coach Smith gamed planned around getting Gaylor out and off the bases, but those other guys stepped up as well. They had great team speed too. The outfield was all pretty fast that I recall. Pretty solid team. Still think we should have beat them. Gaylor played for the Expos not the A's. I saw him when he played in Knoxville vs. the Smokies one year. I read a bunch of these blogs. Was good to see someone remember Mark Synder from Bearden. That guy was awesome in high school! Faced him three times back in the day. Hated every one of those games. He threw like 97 mph. There was some baseball played in knoxville back in early 80's!!!
ReplyDeleteYup, Karns was very good - no doubt Bolinger and Hatmaker were the best 1-2 pitchers around and both could hit. Good catcher and SS and 3B, I remember, and Coach Smith was smart. Like Coach Heatherly has said, several Knoxville teams could have won the state - and that it was tougher to get out of Knoxville than win it all.
ReplyDeleteCertainly I would include Karns, Halls, Bearden (probably Central too with Searcy, but never saw them play, just played summer league ball with him).
Glover got on a roll no doubt and pretty much carried us (plus Jordan and all those saves.)
We just had something I have seen other championship clubs have (the 1999 Sevier County HS Smoky Bears and their 5-A football state title team is an example): We had a core group of guys that HATED to lose - at anything.
In the end that's what counted - beating every team that had beat us when it counted (except for Jeff Co. in the regular season.)
Thanks, I'll change Gaylor's minor league team.
Would have liked to seen the state champs play the 1988 runner-up team - Glover vs. Foster, a left-hander who could have stymied the top of the '82 team's lineup; the strong defenses of both, the two brothers against each other, '82s speed vs '88s power.
ReplyDeleteIt woulda been a helluva game...
And now their sixth title in the last years ... Dynasty!
ReplyDeletelast eight years, rather.
ReplyDelete