Sticks come back to life for champs Powell bat helps cap perfect week for FHS in rout of Mt. Juliet Alan Sloan - Thu, Apr, 16, 2009
Tommy Pharr’s instincts about his starting pitcher and offensive potential meant Mac Thoreson had nothing to worry about.
Thoreson, Farragut senior starter and clean-up hitter, was roughed up in the third inning by Mt. Juliet’s bats during a showdown of District 9-AAA’s and District 4-AAA’s top teams at FHS’s John Heatherly Field.
But as first reported at Farragut First Edition, www.farragutpress.com April 11, five home runs, two by All-state shortstop Curt Powell, and 15 hits total allowed Farragut to end the issue in five innings. FHS needed only four at-bats to produce an 18-5 victory, Saturday afternoon.
“We’re swinging the bats pretty good right now, got some guys that are doing a good job at the plate, locked in pretty good,” said coach Pharr, whose Ads improved to 22-4 (8-0 in District 4-AAA entering the week). Mt. Juliet dropped to 13-8.
Pharr’s nationally ranked team roughed up three MJHS pitchers, scoring one run in the first, four in the second, five in the third and seven in the fourth.
Powell added a single and double with five RBI total. “It seems like ever since we lost to Bearden [Sportsbelle title game, 4-0, April 4] we’re kinda gelling together and more focused on the game,” Powell said. “More of a team, getting timely hits. We definitely woke up the bats today.”
Ethan Bennett, FHS junior catcher, smacked two hits that included a three-run homer down the left field line to highlight the Ads’ seven-run fourth.
Sophomore second baseman Nicky Delmonico, one game following his back-to-back inning grand slams and 10 RBI, added a solo homer plus an RBI single.
Steven Weaver, senior left fielder, had a two-RBI single plus an RBI double. Blake Hayes connected for two hits, including an RBI single, while junior first baseman Nick Williams also doubled.
Ellison Fitchpatrick, senior pinch-hitter, blasted a solo home run over the right-center field fence to end the scoring in the bottom of the fourth. “It was a fastball, we knew it was coming,” Fitchpatrick said, adding that among his career varsity hits, “this is top right now, hopefully I’ll get some more.”
Thoreson helped his own cause with a double that hit high up on the left field wall.
Though Thoreson surrendered a pair of homers driving in five runs in the third, Pharr stuck with the senior hurler. “Mac’s a tough kid, they hit a couple of balls pretty good there, he was just a little bit out-of-sync but I figured he’s be alright,” Pharr said.
Thoreson ended up allowing just five hits — four in the fourth inning — in going the full five innings while retiring the final seven batters. He struck out three, walked three and hit a batter.
Tyler Noland, junior centerfielder, added an RBI after being beaned.
FHS 13 HERITAGE 2
While blasting Sevier County on the road 16-0 in a District 4-AAA game at SCHS April 8, the Admirals did the same to Heritage at HHS one day earlier, 13-2.
Noland’s two home runs led the charge versus the Heritage while Powell added one home run plus a double. Bennett ripped a round tripper. Delmonico doubled.
Winning pitcher Nick Williams went the full five innings.
