Wildcats close out regular season with a 12-2 victory over Gretna in six innings. Here's the article from the Danville Register & Bee & a picture by Matt Bell (Danville Register & Bee)
Seniors come up big for Dan River baseball on senior night
BY EVAN SLAVIT
RINGGOLD — The seniors came through for the Dan River baseball team on senior night, as they beat Gretna 12-2 in six innings on Wednesday.
“It was a good day all around for us,” said Dan River coach Sammy McCormick. “It was senior night and we had guys that we tried to honor today, and they honored us with a good game and good win. It’ll hopefully be a game they always remember. I think we had the most hits we’ve had all year.”
Justin Moser and Zach Harris highlighted the group’s production, with both players hitting home runs as part of their big nights at the plate.
Harris went 4-for-4 with the home run and a double, and drove in a team-leading six runs in the game.
“It felt pretty good to get one on senior night,” said Harris. “I just try to do what I can do to help the team out.”
Moser’s home run was the first of his career, and a feat he hadn’t even accomplished in batting practice.
“That was the fastest he’s ever run the bases too,” joked McCormick. “It looked like someone was chasing him.”
“That’s my first home run in high school,” said Moser. “I don’t even remember running around the bases. I didn’t even know it was a home run until I rounded second and I saw everyone standing at the plate.”
But that was far from his only highlight, as the Danville Community College commit went 5-for-5, a triple shy of the cycle, scored four runs and recorded the last RBI of the game when he drove Brandon Robertson in for the 10-run mercy-rule lead in the bottom of the sixth.
The Wildcats (14-3) finished with 16 hits, and recorded at least a hit in every inning.
Even the opposition was grudgingly happy for the Dan River seniors, with Gretna coach Braxton Blackstock having coached the class when he was an assistant for Dan River.
“The senior class was the last class that I coached when I was here,” said Blackstock. “It was good to see them. They’ve had a lot of success, and they played hard for me. They had a great night tonight.”
“And the guys on both teams are all good friends. Even though we’re on opposite ends of the county, they all know each other. They’re good kids, good country kids. They all hunt and fish together, and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”
“We appreciate everything he did here, because I think he had them all first as eighth graders,” said McCormick. “They think a lot of Coach Blackstock and everything he had done when he left.”
“I started out with him in eighth grade, so it was nice to have him there on senior night,” added Harris. “That was pretty cool.”
Dan River started the scoring early.
Moser began his big day with a leadoff double in the bottom of the first inning. He was later driven in for the first run off a single by Harris.
After a strikeout, senior Noah Collins was hit by a pitch to give Dan River two runners on with two outs, and senior Devin Doss drove them both home with a two-run triple.
In the second inning the Wildcats added three more thanks to the home run by Harris.
The Hawks (4-16) fought back in the top of the third.
With two outs, starting pitcher Jason Lumpkin worked out a walk to start the rally.
Taylor Chitwood followed it up with a single, and Hunter Cline kept it going with a single of his own.
And the Dan River centerfielder misplayed the ball on Cline’s hit, which rolled back towards the fence, allowing both Lumpkin and Chitwood to score for Gretna’s only runs of the game.
While Dan River didn’t score any runs in the bottom of the frame, they added two in each of the next three innings.
Moser led off the bottom of the fourth with his home run, and Bennett McCann scored the second run of the inning after Harris drove him in with a double.
Jacob Stewart and Moser scored in the fifth, with Carter Parsons and Harris driving them in with singles.
Needing two runs for the mercy rule win, Collins started the sixth inning out with a double that almost cleared the fence, and was driven in by a double from Robertson.
Robertson advanced to third on a wild pitch, and Moser drove him in to end the game with a single to left field.
“I was hoping it would come down to me, I wanted it,” said Moser. “It was pretty exciting to go 5-for-5 and end it like that, especially on senior night.
That concludes the regular season for both Dan River and Gretna.
Dan River finished as the top-seed in Conference 37 and will host a conference semifinal game on Wednesday, while Gretna will start the tournament on the road Monday.
(Dan River's baseball team celebrated Senior night and recognized all six of them before the game begin. By games end, Justin Moser (2) hit his first high school career home run and Zach Harris (12) hit a home run as well. Matt Bell/Register & Bee)
Seniors come up big for Dan River baseball on senior night
BY EVAN SLAVIT
RINGGOLD — The seniors came through for the Dan River baseball team on senior night, as they beat Gretna 12-2 in six innings on Wednesday.
“It was a good day all around for us,” said Dan River coach Sammy McCormick. “It was senior night and we had guys that we tried to honor today, and they honored us with a good game and good win. It’ll hopefully be a game they always remember. I think we had the most hits we’ve had all year.”
Justin Moser and Zach Harris highlighted the group’s production, with both players hitting home runs as part of their big nights at the plate.
Harris went 4-for-4 with the home run and a double, and drove in a team-leading six runs in the game.
“It felt pretty good to get one on senior night,” said Harris. “I just try to do what I can do to help the team out.”
Moser’s home run was the first of his career, and a feat he hadn’t even accomplished in batting practice.
“That was the fastest he’s ever run the bases too,” joked McCormick. “It looked like someone was chasing him.”
“That’s my first home run in high school,” said Moser. “I don’t even remember running around the bases. I didn’t even know it was a home run until I rounded second and I saw everyone standing at the plate.”
But that was far from his only highlight, as the Danville Community College commit went 5-for-5, a triple shy of the cycle, scored four runs and recorded the last RBI of the game when he drove Brandon Robertson in for the 10-run mercy-rule lead in the bottom of the sixth.
The Wildcats (14-3) finished with 16 hits, and recorded at least a hit in every inning.
Even the opposition was grudgingly happy for the Dan River seniors, with Gretna coach Braxton Blackstock having coached the class when he was an assistant for Dan River.
“The senior class was the last class that I coached when I was here,” said Blackstock. “It was good to see them. They’ve had a lot of success, and they played hard for me. They had a great night tonight.”
“And the guys on both teams are all good friends. Even though we’re on opposite ends of the county, they all know each other. They’re good kids, good country kids. They all hunt and fish together, and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”
“We appreciate everything he did here, because I think he had them all first as eighth graders,” said McCormick. “They think a lot of Coach Blackstock and everything he had done when he left.”
“I started out with him in eighth grade, so it was nice to have him there on senior night,” added Harris. “That was pretty cool.”
Dan River started the scoring early.
Moser began his big day with a leadoff double in the bottom of the first inning. He was later driven in for the first run off a single by Harris.
After a strikeout, senior Noah Collins was hit by a pitch to give Dan River two runners on with two outs, and senior Devin Doss drove them both home with a two-run triple.
In the second inning the Wildcats added three more thanks to the home run by Harris.
The Hawks (4-16) fought back in the top of the third.
With two outs, starting pitcher Jason Lumpkin worked out a walk to start the rally.
Taylor Chitwood followed it up with a single, and Hunter Cline kept it going with a single of his own.
And the Dan River centerfielder misplayed the ball on Cline’s hit, which rolled back towards the fence, allowing both Lumpkin and Chitwood to score for Gretna’s only runs of the game.
While Dan River didn’t score any runs in the bottom of the frame, they added two in each of the next three innings.
Moser led off the bottom of the fourth with his home run, and Bennett McCann scored the second run of the inning after Harris drove him in with a double.
Jacob Stewart and Moser scored in the fifth, with Carter Parsons and Harris driving them in with singles.
Needing two runs for the mercy rule win, Collins started the sixth inning out with a double that almost cleared the fence, and was driven in by a double from Robertson.
Robertson advanced to third on a wild pitch, and Moser drove him in to end the game with a single to left field.
“I was hoping it would come down to me, I wanted it,” said Moser. “It was pretty exciting to go 5-for-5 and end it like that, especially on senior night.
That concludes the regular season for both Dan River and Gretna.
Dan River finished as the top-seed in Conference 37 and will host a conference semifinal game on Wednesday, while Gretna will start the tournament on the road Monday.
(Dan River's baseball team celebrated Senior night and recognized all six of them before the game begin. By games end, Justin Moser (2) hit his first high school career home run and Zach Harris (12) hit a home run as well. Matt Bell/Register & Bee)
