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Seeking ‘threepeat,’ national title
Diamond Admirals’ offense cranks up heading to state
Alan Sloan - Thu, May, 27, 2010
The Buckner Era of Farragut High School Baseball will follow a path well laid during the past decade.
In his first year as FHS skipper, Matt Buckner has led the Admirals to the 2010 TSSAA “Spring Fling” Class AAA state tournament, the program's ninth state appearance during the past 10 years — winning five titles.
David Crockett hung close for a while during Sectional play Friday afternoon, May 21, at FHS's John Heatherly Field, as the Pioneers actually out-hit Farragut through three innings before the Admirals erupted.
Nicky Delmonico's fourth-inning grand slam was the key blow, while Admirals staff ace Philip Pfeifer fired five innings while giving up just one run in an 11-1 FHS win.
Pfeifer, District 4-AAA Pitcher of the Year who improved his perfect record to 14-0, struck out seven while allowing five hits and three walks.
Now 38-5 on the season, the two-time defending state champions return to Murfreesboro where Pfeifer, who threw about 90 pitches Friday according to Buckner, was expected to be ready for the state opener Tuesday, May 25, on three days rest.
That came against Clarksville (33-8-1). Also in the Ads’ bracket are Columbia (25-13) and Collierville (38-7).
If the Admirals survived into Thursday, they would play beginning at 3 p.m. (CDT) at Siegel High School in its bracket finals round. A second game, if necessary, would follow.
Friday’s state title game — Mt. Juliet, Science Hill, Houston and Coffee County are in the other bracket — begins at 4 p.m. (CDT) at Oakland High School.
Along with FHS's 10-0 blanking of Halls in the Region 2-AAA title game Wednesday, May 19 —Derek Chandler pitched a shutout win; Ethan Bennett added a grand slam, two doubles and six RBI — Buckner said it was “great to see” his offense blossom after struggling in the district tourney.
“Our guys did a great job, kinda came out and set the tone early … kinda killed their spirits thinking they could come in here and knock us off,” Buckner said.
“Pfeifer was good — he wasn't his best, but that's better than most people dream about being,” Buckner added.
David Allen led off with a first-inning double. He later scored on an error off the bat of Delmonico, who eventually came home on Nick Williams' sacrifice fly.
“It feels pretty good to know that for our last [home] game I had a pretty good game,” said Allen, an All-District senior centerfielder who missed several games defensively in centerfield earlier this season due to a strained shoulder.
Delmonico, 4-AAA co-Offensive Player of the Year, first cranked up his bat in the FHS second inning, stroking a two-RBI triple down the right field line to increase Farragut's lead to 4-1.
In reference to baseball signs declaring each of the program's six Class AAA state championships on John Heatherly Field's right-centerfield wall, Delmonico, a junior, said the goal in Murfreesboro is “put another ball on the wall.”
Cameron Strickland, freshman designated hitter, had two hits.
Ryan Montalbano, senior left fielder, connected for the first of his two hits by starting the fourth inning with a double down the third base line. Strickland singled and Allen walked, setting the stage for Delmonico's long blast to centerfield that made it 8-1.
“I hadn't been hitting the ball for a while, so it felt good to get a hit,” said Montalbano, an All-District honoree and one of 11 seniors dressing for their final game at John Heatherly Field Friday. “It feels good to get back to state.”
A.J. Simcox doubled in the fourth and scored on Stewart Martens' two-out single, increasing the Ads' lead to 9-1.
Allen doubled home Strickland in the fifth, making it 10-1, while Ethan Bennett and Montalbano also singled in the inning.
Williams, a Tennessee Vols signee slated to pitch in the SEC, relieved Pfeifer in the top of the sixth. The senior walked one and struck out one, no hits allowed, while facing four batters.
“Nick came in and shut the door down,” Buckner said.
One FHS run ended the game via the 10-run rule — scoring without a hit in the bottom of the sixth.
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