Walk-off hit gives Arlington first USA Classic title
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Hunter Gresham had no trouble pinpointing the reasons for Arlington’s championship run at the 23rd USA Classic.
“Good hitting and good pitching,” he said. “But most important, we had each other’s backs all weekend.”
Tyler Gentry certainly had Gresham’s back Saturday, as he singled in the winning run with two out in the bottom of the seventh to give the Tigers — ranked fourth in The Commercial Appeal Dandy Dozen — the tournament title for the first time with a 4-3 victory over Springboro (Ohio).
Gentry’s hit also salvaged a terrific effort from Gresham, who held the Panthers hitless over the first five innings and struck out seven before leaving in the sixth.
“I think it was one of the best games he’s pitched,” said Tigers coach Chris Ring. “After losing 15 seniors ... we’ve been playing very well together. We have to win as a team and I’m very proud.”
Arlington built a 3-0 lead after five, getting a run in the fourth when Aaron Campbell doubled to lead off the inning before coming around on a passed ball. The Tigers then added two more on run-scoring singles by Campbell and Gentry.
Meanwhile Gresham was cruising, using his slider and curveball to keep the Panthers off balance before getting plenty of outs with his fastball. He left to a rousing ovation from both sets of fans after loading the bases with an error, a single and hit batter with no outs in the top of the sixth.
“I started rushing things,” he said.
Reliever Hayden Edwards (2-0) got two outs on run-scoring sacrifice flies before Greg Tomlinson’s single tied the score at 3.
Arlington put a runner on second with one out in the bottom of the sixth but couldn’t score. Tate Kolwyck reached on an error with one out in the seventh and advanced on a Campbell groundout, setting the stage for Gentry.
“He gave me a changeup so I knew he would come with a fastball (after),” he said. “It was right down the middle.”
Ring had concerns because Gentry had been hit by a pitch in his previous at-bat.
“He told me he couldn’t feel his arm,” he said. “But he told me he could go up there and hit and I wasn’t going to stop him.”
In other games, University School of Jackson took third place with a 3-0 victory over tournament host Christian Brothers. Michael Feather (3-1) was the hard-luck loser for the Purple Wave, which has lost two straight after starting 17-0.
David Clarke didn’t allow an earned run in a complete-game win as MUS took fifth place with a 9-3 victory over Bolton.
HOUSTON COMPLETES SWEEP OF RIVALS
Houston, ranked third in the Dandy Dozen, wrapped up a 4-0 roundrobin against 15-AAA rivals Collierville and Germantown by beating the Dragons, 8-1.
Brandon Maxwell scattered seven hits in the complete-game win and got plenty of support from Logan Brown (2 RBIs), Jared Schmidt (2 for 3, 2 RBIs) and Alex Sala (2 for 2, RBI). The Mustangs are 15-4.
Seventh-ranked Collierville (13-9) rebounded to defeat Germantown, 6-3. Parker Phillips had a tworun double in the Dragons’ four-run fourth.
SAINTS WIN TWO
Briarcrest, tied for 12th in the Dandy Dozen, improved to 10-5 with a 2-0 win over Jackson South Side and a 6-5 victory over McNairy Central.
Dresser Winn and Parker Jordan got the victories and Blake Smith saved both games. Thomas Dillard hit his fourth homer of the year against McNairy.
ARLINGTON WRESTLERS SHINE
Arlington senior Andrew Zarshenas won the championship in the 143-pound class at the Brute Nationals in Independence, Missouri, to lead a strong performance by Tiger wrestlers.
Senior Nathan Enzor and freshman Caleb Morgan also earned AllAmerica honors, with Enzor placing sixth at 163 and Morgan seventh at 106.