BLUFF CITY, Tenn. – For the second straight season, Unicoi County pitcher Kolby Jones ended Sullivan East’s district tournament hopes with a gem on the mound.
The 6-foot-2 right-hander struck out 14 en route to a three-hit shutout as the visiting Blue Devils defeated the Patriots, 4-0, in the District 1-AAA play-in game on Wednesday at McKamey Field.
Unicoi County (11-16) advanced to the double-elimination bracket and will visit top-seeded Tennessee High on Thursday. East finished the season with a 10-19 record.
Jones, a sophomore, struck out six while pitching a four-hitter when the Devils ousted East, 5-1, in the district tournament last year at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
“I thought Jones was dominant on the mound against us tonight,” East coach Mike Breuninger said. “We really didn’t get anything going till the last inning.”
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Jones threw 112 pitches. He began to tire down the stretch. He walked Blake Hayes to lead off the bottom of the seventh and Avery McCoy followed with a line-drive single.
But Jones bounced back to get a strikeout, an infield pop-up and a game-ending fly-out to center field. Freshman Kaden Cutlip made a relatively difficult over-the-shoulder catch in deep center field to deny Chaz Carrier from extra bases and prevent East from getting the tying run to the plate.
“I got a little bit fatigued there toward the end, but you know, I just kind of trusted my defense there at the end,” Jones said. “Today was a big game, a play-in, win or go home. I wanted to come out here and throw the best I could for the team.”
Jones said he had butterflies before the game, but he stung like a bee with a lively fastball and a slider with bite.
“The slider was really there, kind of caught ‘em off guard a little bit and then you come fastball and try to catch ‘em behind the fastball,” he said. “The slider’s a really big pitch for me.”
Jones walked two. He struck out three in the first inning, and fanned two in each of the next four innings.
East won two of three meetings with Unicoi County during the regular season.
“That was one I was worried about,” Blue Devils coach Chad Gillis said. “Having Kolby on the mound definitely made me feel better.”
So did a first-inning home run from Chris Chavez. He hit a solo home run with one out in the first innings.
“That set the tone,” Gillis said. “It even eased my mind a little bit to have a run on the board.”
The Devils added three runs in the fourth inning, which was capped by Caleb Murr’s two-out, two-run single.
“That two-run RBI really got us (a cushion),” Jones said.
McCoy started and allowed four runs (one earned) in three innings for the Patriots.
Zach Johnson struck out six in four innings of scoreless relief. He gave up two hits and no walks.
“That’s the first time we’ve seen him this year,” Jones said. “He looked really good.”
Reid Bogart and Murr were each 2-for-3. Nicky Satterly singled, drove in a run and threw out a would-be base stealer.
Designated hitter Peyton Lingerfelt and catcher T.K. Crowder each hit safely for East.
“I was proud of my guys for battling till the end,” Breuninger said. “I felt like our pitching – McCoy and Johnson – did a good job as well and kept us in the game. As always, it’s hard to see the seniors leave. All the hours they have spent working on the game – they will be missed.”
The Blue Devils’ task immediately gets significantly taller.
“We’ll see if it’ll carry over,” Gillis said. “Our reward’s to face the No. 1 team in the state.”
District 1-AAA play-in game
Unicoi County 100 300 0 -- 4 8 0
Sullivan East 000 000 0 -- 0 3 1
Jones and Satterly. A. McCoy, Johnson (4) and Crowder. W—Jones. L—A. McCoy. HR—Chavez, Unicoi County (1st, none on, one out).