GALLATIN – Ryan Mortensen calls the rivalry between the Beech and Station Camp prep baseball programs a friendly one.
The Bison were more friendly on Wednesday afternoon as five errors helped the Buccaneers emerge with a 4-1 victory.
Beech High senior shortstop Tyler Maskill throws to first base for a second-inning putout.
“It’s big because it’s a district game,” Mortensen – Beech’s junior catcher – said. “It’s important for us personally, because we are good friends.
“It’s a friendly rivalry, so we want to beat them.”
The game lasted just an hour and 19 minutes as Buccaneer junior Dalton Hall and Station Camp junior Thomas Zazzaro held the opposition at bay. Neither allowed an earned run, and Zazzaro (0-1) allowed just three hits.
Station Camp High senior second baseman Blair Flatt throws to senior first baseman Lucas Gross for a seventh-inning putout
“We pitched well,” Bison head coach Korey Heppeard said. “We just didn’t have enough hits and just didn’t make enough plays at certain times. Physical errors gave them their runs, but that’s baseball.”
Hall (2-1) scattered seven hits and didn’t allow a run until Station Camp senior Lucas Gross doubled in the bottom of the seventh and scored thanks to a throwing error.
A Rock solid finish for the Wave
Station Camp High senior third baseman Brad Deason fields a fifth-inning ground ball.
“It was not his best game, but he pitched his butt off,” Mortensen said of Hall. “He hit his spots. He threw what he needed to throw to get them out.”
Beech (7-7 overall, 2-1 in District 9-AAA) scored two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings, taking advantage of two errors in each frame.
Mortensen singled in senior Tyler Maskill in the fifth, after senior Jacob Jenkins scored on a throwing error.
Station Camp High junior catcher Dylan Pottorff throws to second base for a sixth-inning putout.
Then, Hall laid down a successful squeeze bunt in the seventh.
The Bucs were coming off of a 4-2, eight-inning loss to Wilson Central less than 24 hours earlier.
Wilson Central edges McWilliams, Bucs
Beech High junior Michael Hayes attempts to lay down a seventh-inning bunt.
“That’s the great thing about baseball,” Beech head coach Jimmy Neal said. “You don’t have to wait a week to get the bad taste out of your mouth. That’s what I told the boys.
“Zazzaro threw a heck of a game. We were fortunate to get some timely hitting and to get some bunts down. We got it done today.”
Reach Craig Harris at charris@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7138. Follow him on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.
Beech 000 002 2 – 4 3 3
Station Camp 000 000 1 – 1 7 5
Dalton Hall and Ryan Mortensen; Thomas Zazzaro and Dylan Pottorff. WP – Hall (2-1). LP – Zazzaro (0-1). Records: Beech 7-7 overall, 2-1 in District 9-AAA; Station Camp 10-5, 1-3.