Science Hill Bolts to Sixth Straight District Title
JOHNSON CITY – A green light helped Science Hill take less than an hour to complete Saturday’s suspended District 1-AAAA championship game.
Resuming Sunday afternoon leading 6-3 going to the top of the third, the ‘Toppers needed just three innings to dispatch Daniel Boone, 13-3, at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
Major Osbolt cranked a 3-0 pitch for a game-ending grand slam in the bottom of the fifth.
“I looked over and got the green light and I knew I was getting a fastball,” said Osbolt. “I just timed it right and smoked it.”
Science Hill coach Ryan Edwards had no qualms about giving Osbolt the 3-0 option, especially already up six runs.
“We actually discussed that earlier in the year and told a few hitters to be looking for the green light,” Edwards said. “There’s no hesitation when you are winning. When you are winning in that situation and we’ve told them what our expectation is on a 3-0 count, as long as they adhere to that, they’ll keep getting 3-0 green lights. Obviously, Major may get some more down the road.”
The home run was surprisingly the first of the season for the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and helped Science Hill to a 30-win season for the fourth straight year and a sixth straight district tournament title and 13th in 17 years under Edwards.
Osbolt started the game on Saturday, but was unable to return on Sunday after exceeding the pitch count. Hagan Gibson picked up on Sunday and after allowing a single to Boone’s Graham Jones, retired the final nine ‘Blazers in a row to earn the victory.
“Hagan pitched great,” said Edwards. “Really hit his spots and mixed it up with off speed. I just told him to stay out of the big inning and I liked our chances. He not only did that, but he put up three zeros.”
Saturday’s first inning which saw Science Hill bolt to a 5-1 lead, took longer than the three frames on Sunday.
Osbolt’s big fly and the resulting ten-run differential seemed to surprise many.
“I didn’t even know it,” smiled Osbolt, who finished 3-for-3 on the day who added two singles and drove in five runs.
In fact, the top four hitters in the ‘Topper line-up - Landon Smelser, Sam Lane, Jackson Berry and Osbolt - were only retired on sacrifices and five-hole hitters Josh Marmo and Nate Stotts, both reached on three of four trips.
Stoots had the big blow on Saturday, a three-run triple in the first and finished 2-for-3 with Marmo walking twice.
Berry singles in the first, laid down a sacrifice bunt in the second, lofted a sacrifice fly in the fourth to give Science Hill a 7-3 lead and was hit by a pitch in the fifth.
Lane walked twice on Saturday and singled twice on Sunday. Landon Smelser singles twice, reached on an error, scored three times and drove in a run with a sac fly.
“It really does make our offense go at the top of the order when he (Smelser) is getting on base because you have a lot of different options behind him to get him around,” said Edwards.
Marmo and the winning pitchers from the first two games in the tournament, Caden Wells and Noah Hazell were selected to the all-tournament team. Brayden Blankenship, Chandler Justice and Graham Jones represented Boone.
Jones finished 2-for-3 with Slader Tinker and Jackson Utsman driving in Traiblazer runs.
“We’d like to have won this thing obviously, but it wasn’t in the cards for us this time,” said Daniel Boone coach Scott Hagy. “Coming back today was tough after the rain yesterday and I think everybody is concerned about pitching.”
Both sides should have their full compliment of arms from a pitch-count perspective when the Region 1-AAAA Tournament commences Friday at Morristown West.
“It’s all about Friday and Saturday now,” added hagy. “When knew coming into this week we had to win two (to advance) and our mentality going into next weekend is we have to win two to advance and it would be the same the following weekend.”
Daniel Boone – Braden Gore, Garrison Jones (2), Ben Stevens (3) and Jackson Utsman. Science Hill – Major Osbolt, Hagan Gibson (3) and Aiden Vermillion. W – Hagan Gibson, L – Braden Gore. 3B – Nate Stoots, Science Hill. HR – Major Osbolt, Science Hill (grand slam in 5th). RBI – Daniel Boone 2 (Slader Tinker, Jackson Utsman), Science Hill 12 (Major Osbolt 5, Nate Stoots 3, Landon Smelser, Sam Lane, Jackson Berry, Caden Wells). SF – Jackson Utsman, Daniel Boone; Landon Smelser, Science Hill; Jackson Berry, Science Hill. SAC – Jackson Berry, Science Hill. SB – Graham Jones, Daniel Boone 2. LOB — Daniel Boone 3, Science Hill 4.
Resuming Sunday afternoon leading 6-3 going to the top of the third, the ‘Toppers needed just three innings to dispatch Daniel Boone, 13-3, at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
Major Osbolt cranked a 3-0 pitch for a game-ending grand slam in the bottom of the fifth.
“I looked over and got the green light and I knew I was getting a fastball,” said Osbolt. “I just timed it right and smoked it.”
Science Hill coach Ryan Edwards had no qualms about giving Osbolt the 3-0 option, especially already up six runs.
“We actually discussed that earlier in the year and told a few hitters to be looking for the green light,” Edwards said. “There’s no hesitation when you are winning. When you are winning in that situation and we’ve told them what our expectation is on a 3-0 count, as long as they adhere to that, they’ll keep getting 3-0 green lights. Obviously, Major may get some more down the road.”
The home run was surprisingly the first of the season for the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and helped Science Hill to a 30-win season for the fourth straight year and a sixth straight district tournament title and 13th in 17 years under Edwards.
Osbolt started the game on Saturday, but was unable to return on Sunday after exceeding the pitch count. Hagan Gibson picked up on Sunday and after allowing a single to Boone’s Graham Jones, retired the final nine ‘Blazers in a row to earn the victory.
“Hagan pitched great,” said Edwards. “Really hit his spots and mixed it up with off speed. I just told him to stay out of the big inning and I liked our chances. He not only did that, but he put up three zeros.”
Saturday’s first inning which saw Science Hill bolt to a 5-1 lead, took longer than the three frames on Sunday.
Osbolt’s big fly and the resulting ten-run differential seemed to surprise many.
“I didn’t even know it,” smiled Osbolt, who finished 3-for-3 on the day who added two singles and drove in five runs.
In fact, the top four hitters in the ‘Topper line-up - Landon Smelser, Sam Lane, Jackson Berry and Osbolt - were only retired on sacrifices and five-hole hitters Josh Marmo and Nate Stotts, both reached on three of four trips.
Stoots had the big blow on Saturday, a three-run triple in the first and finished 2-for-3 with Marmo walking twice.
Berry singles in the first, laid down a sacrifice bunt in the second, lofted a sacrifice fly in the fourth to give Science Hill a 7-3 lead and was hit by a pitch in the fifth.
Lane walked twice on Saturday and singled twice on Sunday. Landon Smelser singles twice, reached on an error, scored three times and drove in a run with a sac fly.
“It really does make our offense go at the top of the order when he (Smelser) is getting on base because you have a lot of different options behind him to get him around,” said Edwards.
Marmo and the winning pitchers from the first two games in the tournament, Caden Wells and Noah Hazell were selected to the all-tournament team. Brayden Blankenship, Chandler Justice and Graham Jones represented Boone.
Jones finished 2-for-3 with Slader Tinker and Jackson Utsman driving in Traiblazer runs.
“We’d like to have won this thing obviously, but it wasn’t in the cards for us this time,” said Daniel Boone coach Scott Hagy. “Coming back today was tough after the rain yesterday and I think everybody is concerned about pitching.”
Both sides should have their full compliment of arms from a pitch-count perspective when the Region 1-AAAA Tournament commences Friday at Morristown West.
“It’s all about Friday and Saturday now,” added hagy. “When knew coming into this week we had to win two (to advance) and our mentality going into next weekend is we have to win two to advance and it would be the same the following weekend.”
Daniel Boone | 120 | 00 | -- | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Science Hill | 510 | 16 | -- | 13 | 12 | 1 |
Daniel Boone – Braden Gore, Garrison Jones (2), Ben Stevens (3) and Jackson Utsman. Science Hill – Major Osbolt, Hagan Gibson (3) and Aiden Vermillion. W – Hagan Gibson, L – Braden Gore. 3B – Nate Stoots, Science Hill. HR – Major Osbolt, Science Hill (grand slam in 5th). RBI – Daniel Boone 2 (Slader Tinker, Jackson Utsman), Science Hill 12 (Major Osbolt 5, Nate Stoots 3, Landon Smelser, Sam Lane, Jackson Berry, Caden Wells). SF – Jackson Utsman, Daniel Boone; Landon Smelser, Science Hill; Jackson Berry, Science Hill. SAC – Jackson Berry, Science Hill. SB – Graham Jones, Daniel Boone 2. LOB — Daniel Boone 3, Science Hill 4.
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