Dawgs rout Govs, claim District 4-4A top spot

KNOXVILLE — After four-and-a-half innings Monday evening, April 17, at Phil Garner Park, Bearden’s baseball team led William Blount 1-0 and neither team had a hit.

Then the Bulldogs batted in the bottom of the fifth, and when the inning was over, BHS led 7-0 en route to a 10-0 run-ruled finish in six.

“I think we’re starting to come along offensively, especially later in the games when you get through the lineup the third time,” Dawgs head coach Dave Prichard said. “We’re starting to hit the baseball.”

While BHS improved to 17-6 overall, 6-1 in District 4-4A, Hardin Valley’s loss to Maryville Monday left the Bulldogs in 4-4A first place.

Bulldog starting pitcher Braden Suggs threw six shutout inning, giving up a single hit and striking out eight.

Prichard said Suggs hasn’t given up a single earned run in district play. “Braden Suggs was phenomenal again,” the coach said. “When you pitch like that it’s fun.”

“I felt good out there,” Suggs said. “I felt like my stuff was pretty good tonight, I think our hitting is starting to come around.”

“Threw pitches for strikes, change-up was really good. Fastball had good velocity, located well,” Govs head coach Justin Young said.

The Bulldogs’ wild fifth inning was highlighted by Hudson Hoffecker’s perfect bunt to score Luke Seagrist and Brooks Wright’s triple, which scored Tripp Greer.

Aiden Tipton’s two-run blast to left in the sixth made it 9-0. Evan Goins’ double then brought home Wright, who had walked, to end the game.