CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Montgomery Central baseball traveled to take on Rossview Tuesday in a District 10-AAA showdown.

The Hawks relied on their speed and timely hitting to pick up an 8-1 victory over the Indians.

Junior Andrew Stewart was locked in at the dish, finishing 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and three RBI.

Rossview baseball coach Parker Holman discussed just how clutch his clean-up hitter was in the victory.

“I thought he did have a solid night for us at the plate,” Holman said. “He was the recipient of some guys in the lineup setting the table for, but definitely cashed in on some big ‘money at-bats.’ He really did a good job of taking a solid approach to the plate and staying behind the baseball when given the opportunity.”

Missed opportunities

The Indians left seven runners on base through the first three innings of the game. After walking in a run to tie the game, Hawk starting pitcher Collin Pedigo recorded back-to-back punchouts to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the third.

Montgomery Central baseball coach Todd Dunn shared how the inability to capitalize early on in those key situations hurt his team.

“We left runners on the first three innings,” Dunn said. “I think that was the turning point of the game. I knew that we could not waste those opportunities against a good team. Our team however has come back multiple times this year, so I don’t think it affected them that much. Like our pitcher did, Rossview’s pitcher got stronger as the game went along and we did not have a lot more opportunities.”

Aces wild

Despite struggling with his command in the early going, Pedigo was able to settle in on the hill. The righty finished 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out 10 batters to earn the win.

“He has done a great job becoming the number one on our pitching staff in what really was a rushed process,” Holman said. “Unlike many other arms we have had in the past, he like many others on this staff never got to be a number four or five in a rotation with veteran guys in front of him to learn from because of the COVID-19 year. With that being said, I think he and the staff get better with every outing, because they learn something that may be hard to replicate in practice, bullpen sessions or even inter-squads. The biggest takeaway from tonight is that he didn’t let the adversity demon win, but instead “bowed his neck” and found a way to record outs while not having his best stuff for a short stint.”

Indians starting pitcher Graham Blackwell was hit the loss after surrendering eight runs on six hits while striking out seven and walking six through 5 2/3 innings.

“Graham actually pitched a great game,” Dunn said. “He had a little bit of control issues early, but we made multiple mental mistakes that we normally don’t make. It could have easily been 1-1 going into the sixth. You have to give Rossview credit because they didn’t make those mistakes.”

Key factors

Rossview was aggressive with runners on, swiping seven bases on the night. According to Holman, that was a point of emphasis for his group going into the game.

“We have to play aggressive,” Holman said. “There are not many teams in the top 20 in the state that we can stand at the plate and hit toe-to-toe with, but our kids understand that and do a good job of making up our lack of power in other areas, especially on the base paths.”

Timmy Campbell led the Indians on offense, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Dunn gave his thoughts on how the senior is able to help set the tone for his lineup on a nightly basis.

“Timmy is a great lead-off hitter,” Dunn said. “He is an intense competitor who walks a lot and also hits. It is a great way to start each game off. He actually hit a rocket to the third baseman and could have easily had three hits. His demeanor and competitiveness has really helped our team this year.”

The Hawks broke open the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, tallying four more runs in the frame to all but seal the victory.

“I think the Blackwell kid is a tough out on the mound,” Holman said. “He throws a really heavy fastball in the 84 to 87 range with a breaking ball that can keep you off balance. He competed very well and was impressive during the game. We were able to manufacture some runs early by being detailed-oriented and having good at-bats where we could score without necessarily having to get a hit.”

Up next

Rossview also captured a 10-5 win Wednesday over Montgomery Central in the final regular-season meeting between the two teams.

Montgomery Central (13-6) hosts Waverly Thursday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. in a non-district contest.

Rossview (13-9) welcomes in Houston Thursday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hawks Nest.