Owning mid-state, Ads baseball starts 5-0

Conquering Middle Tennessee with a 4-0 record during Spring Break last week, Farragut varsity baseball already is enjoying the benefits of a strong freshmen class.

The Admirals opened District 4-AAA play Monday, March 22, with a 9-5 road win at Heritage. “We were up 8-0 in the fifth inning and didn’t finish the game very well,” FHS head coach Matt Buckner said.

Jaxson Pease, the winning pitcher at HHS, went six innings. “He gave up no earned runs and had seven strikeouts,” Buckner said. Kaleb Toon picked up a save.

Parker Evans, Brennon Seigler and Lukas Buckner each connected for two hits. Angus Pence and Bryce Burkey smacked home runs among their two hits.

Playing four games in three days in Middle Tennessee, “We played some solid baseball,” said Buckner, as Pease picked up his first win of the season, working five innings at Summit in an 8-3 FHS win Tuesday, March 16. Pence got the save.

“Hudson Seigler had a big game, a couple of home runs,” the Admirals skipper added. Lukas Buckner, a freshman, was three-for-three at the plate, including a double, while senior infielder Tanner Kim had a couple of hits, including a double.

Later that day came a victory at Lebanon, 6-2, with Matthew Kilby the winning pitcher. Toon picked up the save. Burkey smacked two triples and had three hits overall. “And Angus Pence had a big double,” coach Buckner said.

Beating Tullahoma 8-5 at Siegel in Murfreesboro Thursday, March 18, senior Hunter Merrick not only was the winning pitcher, “He also hit a two-run homer,” the coach said about Merrick’s two-hit effort. Evans and Hudson Seigler also had two hits apiece.

New Ads with big pitching contributions included freshman Michael Delph, “who threw the last two-and-a-third innings” versus Tullahoma. “He threw really well.”

To finish off its unblemished run in the mid-state, the Admirals beat Christ Presbyterian Academy 8-1 at CPA Friday, March 19.

“Carson Mitchell was the winning pitcher, he had nine strikeouts through four innings,” the Ads skipper said. “He threw really well.”

Freshman Eli Evans pitched the last three innings, giving up no runs. “He pitched really well, too,” coach Buckner said.

Pence had a two-run homer versus CPA.