CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Rossview Hawks and Clarksville Academy Cougars met up at Austin Peay State University for a matchup on the diamond Monday. The Cougars used a strong three-run fourth inning to take control of the contest, but Rossview scored two in the top of the seventh to take the lead and complete a comeback victory, 4-3.
Early on, the Hawks scratched one run across in both the top of the first and the second for an early 2-0 lead, highlighted by Johnny Cabaleiro smacking a double about 350 feet for one of his two hits on the night. Meanwhile, Rossview pitcher Becket Haselhuhn was dealing on the mound, as he pitched five innings and recorded 11 punch outs.
“It was a really good baseball game to watch – two talented teams going at it,” said Rossview head coach Parker Holman. “I was proud of our guys. We challenged them in the offseason to stop beating ourselves on the mound, and our guys have taken pride in that. We’ve got a few guys that can throw the ball, they all want it, and competition breeds good pitchers.”
The Cougars got hot in the bottom of the fourth, with Evan Leonard and Brenan Gibson both finding a gap for two doubles to bring in runs and take the lead 3-2. Academy pitcher Jalon Page heated up on the mound as well, allowing only eight hits in 6.1 innings of work with seven strikeouts.
“Their starter threw great, so we were quiet for a few innings, but once we finally got some confidence, we started to really hit it,” said Clarksville Academy head coach Dustin Smith. “We started to play for each other, and I wished we continued that into the later innings. We play a tough schedule early, so we can continue to get better and build off that.”
A few Hawks got on base in the top of the seventh, and their dugout came alive as Matthew Simpson tied the game with an RBI single. The Hawks then loaded the bases after that, and CJ Lattimore delivered another RBI single with two outs, and the Hawks held on in the bottom of the seventh to complete the comeback.
“We found a way to get back in the game, and that was huge,” said Holman. “It’s one of those games where if you’re unbiased, you didn’t want either team to lose because they both played really well. We celebrate the wins, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint; right now, we’re just focused on us. If we do that, I like where we can go.”
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