Errors plague Team Georgia in All-Star loss to Tennessee

A late-game offensive surge by the Tennessee All-Stars propelled the Volunteer State to a 14-5 victory over Georgia in the 16th annual Stump on Sports Tennessee-Georgia AllStar Baseball Classic last Monday night.

Held at Ooltewah High School for the second time and the first time since 2012, former Owls standout Ethan Walls delivered a record-tying four RBIs in the win.

Tennessee picked up three runs in both the third and fourth innings. Walls had a sacrifice fly in the third to bring in one run and he added a two-two run single in the fourth. Georgia’s defense also aided the Tennessee cause by committing four errors combined in the two frames.

The Georgia stars got a first-inning solo homer by Hayden Lock (Coahulla Creek) and a fourth-inning solo blast by Taylor Whitley (Adairsville) to account for their first two runs, but the Peach State would get back in it by plating three runs in the top of the seventh on just one hit.

Sam Stepp (Dalton) would get credit for the RBI by drawing a bases-loaded walk and he later came around to score on a wild pitch, while a Tennessee error allowed Noah Peterson (Gordon Lee) to scamper home after he doubled earlier in the inning.

Whitley nearly launched the first grand slam in All-Star Classic history on the final pitch of the inning, but his deep fly ball to right was hauled in by Daniel Willie (Ooltewah) at the base of the wall, leaving the sacks loaded.

Ahead by just one run, 6-5, going into the bottom of the seventh, Tennessee would get some insurance via a two-two run double by Walker Waters (Chattanooga Central). They would put the game away an inning later, ripping four hits and using two walks and another Georgia error to plate six runs.

Brady Swafford (Walker Valley) had a two-run single. Garrett Hensley (Signal Mountain) had an RBItriple, while Walls and Walker both recorded solo RBIs in the inning.

Walls’ had just one hit, but his four-RBI performance earned him Tennessee Player of the Game honors, while Whitley was named the Georgia Player of the Game. Waters was named the game’s MVP after going 3-for-3 with a run scored and three RBIs. He also struck out three batters in two innings of work on the mound.

Swafford was the pitcher of record and collected the win. Starter Tanner Moylen (Hixson) had three strikeouts in two innings, while Micah Genter (South Pittsburg) threw the final three innings for Tennessee, striking out four and walking four.

Nick Woods (East Hamilton) added an RBI-double. Willie also doubled in the victory, while Genter reached base two times on fielders’ choices, scoring both times.

No one had multiple hits for Georgia, who finished with just five hits as a team. Apart from the two solo homers and Peterson’s double, Jantzen Calvo (Dalton) and Blake Davis (North Murray) had the only other hits, both singles.

Trent Collins (Coahulla Creek), one of seven pitchers used in the game, started and pitched the first two innings before giving way to Darryn Pasqua (Christian Heritage), who was saddled with the loss after working the third inning.

Tennessee now has a 14-2 lead in the all-time series.