Gordon Lee takes Lookout Valley tourney title
The Gordon Lee Trojans enjoyed another big week on the diamond by picking up a Region 6-A victory before earning the championship at the 2021 Lookout Valley Yellow Jacket Classic in Chattanooga.
Gordon Lee 10, Armuchee 2
The Trojans fell behind 1-0 after the top half of the first inning, but answered with a six-spot in the bottom of the frame before going on to a victory in a game played at Edwards Park in Dalton last Monday.
Nate Dunfee was 3 for 4 with a pair of RBIS. Brodie Genter went 2 for 4 with a double and one RBI. Blake Rodgers and Griff Collins had one RBI apiece, while Cade Peterson was 2 for 2 and capped the scoring for the Trojans with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.
Five different pitchers, Rodgers, Genter, Jake Poindexter, Bo Rhudy and Brody Cobb, took the mound for Gordon Lee with Rhudy getting credit for the win. They combined to give up just one earned run in seven innings with 11 strikeouts and five walks.
Gordon Lee 5, South Pittsburg 1
Beginning play in the Lookout Valley tournament this past Thursday, the Trojans scored solo runs in five separate innings against the Pirates.
Peterson had Rbi-singles in the top of the second and fifth innings, Kade Cowan singled in a run in the third, Genter had an Rbi-single in the seventh, and Collins launched a solo homer in the fourth. Cowan, Peterson, Rodgers and Jacob Neal all had two hits for the Trojans, while both of Rodgers’ hits were doubles.
Riley King started on the mound and threw the first two innings. He gave up an earned run on one hit and four walks with five strikeouts. Tanner Wilson pitched five strong innings of relief, scattering two hits and walking just one while fanning six.
Gordon Lee 5, Silverdale 3
The first of two wins on Friday came against the Seahawks from Chattanooga in a game featuring future Division I college pitchers.
Poindexter (Georgia) would get the victory as he allowed just one earned run in six innings. He gave up five hits and walked two batters while recording seven strikeouts. Cobb pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh and struck out two batters to pick up the save.
Meanwhile, Silverdale junior Turner Junkins (MTSU) pitched six innings and allowed five earned runs. He walked four batters and surrendered 10 hits, though he also struck out 10 batters.
The Seahawks would score a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game, but it would take just two swings of the bat to untie it in the top of the seventh. Rodgers led off the inning with a single and Cobb followed up with a tworun homer to left.
Peterson had a double as one of his four hits. He finished with two RBIS. Rodgers and Cowan both went 2 for 4. Genter knocked in one run, while Nate Dunfee drew three walks and scored twice.
Gordon Lee 12, Moore Co. 1
The final contest of Friday evening lasted just four innings as the Trojans scored the first 10 runs of the game on their way to a blowout win.
Poindexter had a two-run single in the second inning and added another in the third to finish the game with four RBIS. Peterson collected three RBIS, while Cowan, Cobb and Jacob Neal had one RBI apiece. The Trojans scored their dozen runs on just six hits, while they took advantage of 13 walks.
Rodgers pitched the first 2.2 innings. He allowed three hits and five walks while striking out five. The run he allowed was unearned. Holt Roberts pitched the final 1.1 innings, giving up two hits and striking out two.
Gordon Lee 9, South Pittsburg 1
Facing the Pirates again on Saturday, this time in the title game, the Trojans capped a 4-0 tournament to boost their record to 17-2 overall on the season.
Cobb continued to swing a hot bat with a pair of doubles, including one that drove in a run in the top of the first inning. Rbi-singles by Collins and Cowan regained the lead for the Trojans in the fourth after South Pittsburg scored a run on a Gordon Lee error in the bottom of the first.
The Trojans did most of their damage in the fifth inning. Cowan delivered a tworun single and Neal picked up an Rbi-single, while one run scored on a passed ball and two other runs scored on bases-loaded walks. Tanner Wilson would score the final run of the game on an error in the top of the sixth.
The Pirates would load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but failed to score as relief pitcher Jackson Moore induced a fly ball
for the final out.
Moore pitched an inning of relief, allowing one hit. Genter threw two relief innings, striking out one and allowing one hit, while Bo Rhudy started on the mound and went four innings. He walked two batters and did not give up a hit. The run he allowed was unearned and he finished with
11 strikeouts.
Cowan and Neal also had two hits. Rhudy added a double and Dunfee was credited with an RBI.
The Trojans are slated to get back to Region 6-A play on Tuesday of this week with a home game against Bowdon. First pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m.