The Cougar varsity baseball team lost a game they probably should have won in Wednesday’s opening game in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, then got the benefit of a mistaken call by the men in blue to take the second game.

The weathermen in Tennessee cooperated spectacularly, giving the Cougars their best baseball weather to date with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70’s.

Senior Jordan White pitched the first game against McCreary County Central, from Kentucky. White struggled with his control and pitched in trouble in nearly every inning in absorbing the 7-6 loss.

Sophomore Mike Scott pitched the second game against Alcoa, Tennessee and picked up the victory in the Cougars’ 1-0 win in eight innings.

McCREARY COUNTY

CENTRAL

Head Coach Danny Clark was frustrated after this loss because he felt he had much the better team. He felt three fly balls that went for doubles should have been caught in the outfield for outs.

He was also disappointed with the way his team failed to hit. The Raiders’ starting pitcher, Jacob Dixon, had two speeds, slow and slower, but he kept the Cougars off balance all day. He allowed four runs on six hits, but managed to keep the Cougars in check when he needed to.

Dixon was relieved in the seventh by right-hander Dylan James. Grayson County broke through for two runs and had the lead runners on base before James managed to shut things down to earn the save.

The Cougars scored first with an unearned run in the top of the first. Sean Embry was safe on an error, stole second, then scored on a White double to centerfield.

The Raiders scored three times in the bottom of the second to go in front for good. Two fly balls to left went for doubles when Michael McCubbin got turned the wrong way, and the first run came in.

White then hurt himself by hitting a batter with two strikes on him. Back-to-back singles by Anthony Musgrove and Darrell King then drove in the other two runs.

The Cougars made it 3-2 with a run in the fourth. Greg Rainey led off with a single and moved to second on a ground out by Scott. He went to third on a wild pitch then scored on a two-out single by catcher Adrian Board.

The Raiders got that run back in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out single by third-baseman David Hayes.

White gave up back-to-back doubles for another run in the fifth, but retired the next two batters. But when Musgrove and King put together back-to-back singles again, driving in two more runs, Clark brought in McCubbin in relief with the Cougars trailing 6-2.

McCubbin got Colby Lawson to ground a ball to second, but Brady Clemons bobbled the ball then couldn’t pick it up as another run scored, making it 7-2.

Grayson County made it a game with two runs in the sixth. Rainey walked, went to second on a wild pitch, then reached third on a ground out by Tristan Willis.

Board drove Rainey home with his second straight RBI single, then McCubbin moved him to third with a dunker into right. McCubbin was awarded home by the umpires on an interference call and the score was 7-4.

A walk and a Tyler Saltsman single put runners at first and second with no one out against James in the seventh, but James retired the next two batters.

Scott then ripped a double to the fence in right-center to make it 7-6. Willis was safe at first on an error as Scott moved to third, but James retired Board on a come-backer to end the game.

ALCOA, TENNESSEE

This game was all about the pitchers as Scott and Alcoa lefty Clint Coulter locked up in a classic pitcher’s duel. Coulter went all the way, giving up just the one, unearned run on six Cougar hits. He walked two and struck out five.

Scott was in control from the start. He allowed no runs on just five hits, walking two and striking out four. The Tornadoes put a runner at third in the second, but Scott struck out DH Seth Coulter to end the inning.

They put a runner at second with two outs in the fourth, but Scott got another strikeout to end that threat.

In the seventh, they had runners at first and second with just one out against Scott. Josh Kincannon flew out for the second out before courtesy runner Daniel Robinson stole third. Coulter, at first, then faked a steal of second base. When Scott ran at Coulter, who was hung up between first and second, Robinson broke for the plate but was cut down by Scott, who threw a strike to Board for the final out.

Back-to-back two out singles put a runner in scoring position in the eighth, but Scott got shortstop Travis Cunningham to pop out to end the inning.

The Cougars had had just one runner in scoring position before they loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth off Coulter, but the left-hander got Board to fly out to left to end the inning.

The Cougars then ended things in the bottom of the eighth in bizarre fashion. Alphonso Soto beat out an infield hit leading off before Rainey struck out for the first out. Soto was then thrown out trying to steal second.

Scott then hit a twisting fister toward third base. Tyler Townsend made a nice bare-handed grab of the ball, but his throw was wild at first, sending Scott to second. This is where the unpires made a questionable call, allowing Scott to score.

Right-fielder Michael Stubblefield, backing up the overthrow at first, fielded the ball down the line and made a throw to third base. When the ball got past Townsend at third and went into the dugout, the umpires award Scott two bases instead of one and he trotted home with the winning run.