FLOWERY BRANCH — While the Cherokee Bluff baseball team continues to pile up the firsts, like Wednesday’s 8-2 win over East Hall to clinch their first-ever Region 7-3A series, coach Jeremy Kemp said they are far beyond all those things at this point.
“My mentality of being a first-year program is long gone,” Kemp said. “We’ve got nine games under our belts and they’ve been competitive and know what they need to do.”
The Bears (6-3, 2-0 Region 7-3A) won the opening game of the series in Rabbittown on Monday, 7-3, behind senior pitcher Parker Shope. They got a similar outcome from the combination of sophomore starter Dyaln Kautz (3.2IP, 1H, 4BB, 4K, 2ER) and senior reliever James Mitchell (3.1IP, 2H, 1BB, 4K, 0R) on Wednesday at Bluff Ballpark.
The two hurlers worked around a pair of errors with Mitchell, who is pitching for the first time since he was a freshman at Mill Creek, facing just two over the minimum.
“Dylan got in a little trouble but got out of it and James has really been throwing well,” Kemp said.”James is really just getting into shape after not playing for a couple of seasons so we’re extremely pleased to see the progress he is making.”
Kautz started strong for the Bears setting down the Vikings in order in the first. Caleb Piland then gave Cherokee Bluff the early lead with a two-run single in the first. East Hall starter Matt Lacey (2+IP, 2H, 6BB, 2K, 6R, 4ER) walked the bases loaded in front of Piland but got out of the jam when Chandler Shope lined out to Luke Holtzclaw at third, who doubled off Piland to end the inning.
Kautz retired the first five East Hall hitters but ran into trouble in the second. East Hall got runners to second and third on a pair of Bears errors and a wild pitch. But Kautz got Zack Kinsey to line out to Ashton Balizet in center to get out of the mess.
Cherokee Bluff appeared to have added a run in the second with a Kautz sacrifice fly to left after two East Hall errors and a walk loaded the bases. But Mitchell, who was at third, was ruled to have left early and was called out. Lacey then fanned Tino Mukuno to get out of the inning with no damage done.
But the Bears blew the game open in the third sending 11 to the plate. The Bluff got a RBI triple from Parker Shope and a RBI single from Mukuno to go with three walks and one big East Hall error for an 8-0 lead.
East Hall (0-7, 0-2 Region 7-3A) pulled closer in the top of the fourth when Alex Brock and T.J. Smith each drew bases loaded walks to cut it to 8-2. But Cherokee Bluff scored its fifth unearned run of the game in the bottom of the fifth for a 9-2 lead.
Mitchell set down the final five East Hall batters to end the game.
Cherokee Bluff now will go for its first Region 7-3A series sweep on Friday as the two teams head back to Rabbittown.
“Right now it’s really about just taking things one game at a time, like at any other place,” Kemp said. “I’m proud of where we are right now and we just need to keep working to get better.”
http://accesswdun.com/article/2019/3/770687/baseball-bears-take-first-7-3a-series-win-over-east-hall