KINGSPORT — For seven innings Friday, it was all about baseball.
After that, it was about so much more.
An era came to an end with Sullivan South’s 6-2 loss to Pigeon Forge in the TSSAA Class AA sectional round, the last game in the history of the Rebels’ program.
South is consolidating with Sullivan Central and Sullivan North after this academic year to form West Ridge.
A COMMUNITY LOSS
After the game, Rebels coach Anthony Richardson struggled to find the words to say to his players.
For several minutes, players, coaches and a few parents and South supporters hugged one another, sharing a tear here and there as the realization that one phase of their lives had concluded.
The life of the four-decade-old baseball program had ended.
Perhaps, too soon for Richardson and others.
Sullivan South fell 6-2 to Pigeon Forge Friday in the Group AA ⚾ sectional. It was the last game in the history of the school, which will consolidate with Sullivan North & Sullivan Central in August to form West Ridge. South coach Anthony Richardson. @tnsportslive pic.twitter.com/HQ5g9W9kAu
— Kevin Mays (@kevmays) May 22, 2021
“It’s very emotional,” the coach said.
Looking around the ballpark still full of fans who had packed it to capacity, Richardson fought back tears.
“All these people coming out here. It shows you what Sullivan South is all about,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that we’re shutting this place down.
“We’ll make the most of (West Ridge) when we go there. But this community, South is special. And it always has been and it always will be.
“We’ll never forget this place.”
STRANGER THAN FICTION
Pigeon Forge’s Mike Guinn will live in history as the coach of the last team to beat the Rebels.
Oddly, it was not Guinn’s first time seeing the final contest of a Sullivan County sports program.
Pigeon Forge defeated Sullivan South 6-2 Friday in the TSSAA Group AA ⚾ sectional. The game was the last in South history & PF coach Mike Guinn knew it would be a challenge. @tnsportslive pic.twitter.com/CpBbfUkETI
— Kevin Mays (@kevmays) May 22, 2021
“I was 17 years old and sitting in the stands at South-Young High School (in Knoxville) and watching my buddies play basketball against Lynn View,” the coach recalled. “I thought, man, they were closing that school to go to Sullivan South and now 41 years later here I am with Sullivan South closing to go to West Ridge.”
Friday night’s victory was bittersweet.
“It kills me to see those guys like that,” Guinn said, looking at an emotional group of South players. “It just kills me. I just want to go hug them because that’s tough. Obviously they’ve got no reason to hang their heads. They’re an awesome ballclub. I wish we both could’ve won. I truly mean that.”
FIGHT TO THE FINISH
Pigeon Forge sophomore sensation Dylan Loy, who’s already committed to Tennessee, was perfect through the first three innings, but South’s Drew Hoover broke up the bid in the fourth inning when he drew a one-out walk.
One out later, Marshall Buchanan ended the no-hitter and shutout performance with a single to left field that scored Hoover and tied the game at 1.
Pigeon Forge (29-4) rallied for three runs in the sixth to build a 4-1 advantage.
South (24-9) kept battling, however. The Rebels took advantage of back-to-back Tigers errors and a single from Buchanan — who finished 2-for-3 with an RBI — to load the bases.
A groundout from Eli Jennings allowed Hoover to score from third and cut the Pigeon Forge lead to 4-2 before Loy pitched himself out of the jam.
“We were up 4-1 and they came right back and put pressure on us,” Guinn said. “Even to the very end, I never really was very relaxed.
“They just had a will to win and it was going to be hard to break.”
Pigeon Forge added two more runs in the seventh inning to secure the historic win.
Loy struck out 13.
No one wanted to leave @tnsportslive pic.twitter.com/j8ZjM8GZJ4
— Kevin Mays (@kevmays) May 22, 2021
The end of an era pic.twitter.com/sl1mqJgtaa
— Kevin Mays (@kevmays) May 22, 2021
