CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After having its 2021 season opener pushed back a day due to inclement weather, Rossview baseball welcomed in district-foe Springfield for a doubleheader Tuesday at the Hawks Nest.
Even though they had to wait roughly another 24 hours to play than most teams in the Clarksville-Montgomery County area, the Hawks were just grateful to finally be taking the field for game action once again.
“Just the preparation before the game and getting the field ready for the kids to play on,” said Rossview baseball coach Parker Holman on one of the thing’s he missed the most. “We take a lot of pride in making sure our kids get to play on one of the best surfaces in the mid-state. Just doing that for them and then getting to see them come out as hungry as they were not necessarily to get a win, but just to play with each other and play against somebody other than themselves was a unique experience and a special seven innings for sure.”
The Hawks were able to rely on exceptional pitching and timely hitting en route to shutting out the Yellowjackets 5-0 in game one.
FINAL@RHShawkbaseball 5@SHSJacketsBall 0
After having their season opener postponed yesterday, the Hawks take game one of a doubleheader against the Yellowjackets. Dylan Kazee put Rossview in front for good in the top of the 1st with a two-run blast. pic.twitter.com/h3ZsXwyvuP
— Neil Rye (@NryeTBB) March 16, 2021
In the top of the first inning, three-hole hitter Dylan Kazee drove in Rossview’s first runs of the year with a two-run homer.
“It felt great,” Kazee said. “I missed the game a lot. I’m excited for this season and to see where it goes.”
According to Holman, the hit was critical just to be able to calm the guys down a bit and settle their nerves early on in the ballgame.
“It was huge,” Holman said. “Anytime that you can strike first in a game, it gives your offense momentum and allows your defense to play with a little bit more confidence. It’s been a long time since we’ve had something to cheer about. I tell the kids all the time they provide energy for the fans and then the fans rekindle that energy and give it back to us. I thought it was a good opportunity for that to happen and then see it early on.”
Key players
Hawk starting pitcher Collin Pedigo was superb on the bump, throwing five scoreless innings while scattering three hits and striking out six batters.
“Tremendous,” Holman said of Petigo’s performance in the win. “He did a heck of a job of getting us off on the right foot in game one. He allowed us to hand the ball over to our reliever with a comfortable situation and hats off to him tonight.”
Austin Peay commit Andrew Jordan led Rossview with a 2-for-3 effort and made some difficult plays look rather routine at the hot corner.
In game two, Rossview erased a four-run deficit to pick up a come-from-behind 5-4 victory, completing the regular-season sweep of Springfield.
“Hats off to Springfield,” Holman said. “They played 42 outs with one error and made some really good plays. That’s pretty impressive.”
With now two wins to start the new campaign, Holman discussed the potential that this year’s team possesses.
“It’s funny you ask that,” Holman said. “I think this team can honestly be as good as it wants to be. Everybody in Tennessee is in kind of the same boat. You have to find who you are and find who you are early.
“We’ve really put these kids through the gauntlet from a standpoint of things that don’t even have to do with baseball. We just want to see guys who are willing to lay it on the line and get after it every play. Whether it be playing flag football or running hills behind the stadium, we just want to see tough blue-collar guys. I think this team showed a lot of that tonight and I’m really proud of them.”
Key plays
A nightmarish top of the third inning occurred for the Hawks when starting pitcher Lantz Shirk ran into some control issues on the mound.
Four free passes later, resulted in a 4-0 lead for Springfield after a two-run single from Grant Donkin and a passed ball gave the Yellowjackets momentum.
“First of all, we are a little young on the mound,” Holman said. “We tell guys all the time you can’t defend walks. That’s what got us in trouble there. Luckily we had a junior that we went to (Jeremy Watson) who came in and held the inning in a tough spot. That’s what we ask our relievers to do.”
Rossview would get on the board in the bottom of the frame, after a bases loaded walk brought home Scott Dean.
Kazee struck again in the bottom of the fifth to pull the Hawks within one run with a two-run blast to left center for his second home run in as many games.
“I think it was just due to hard work and preparation before the game,” Kazee said. “I’ve been hitting every morning and working out here for the past two months. Good things like that happen when you work hard.”
Josh Sanchez-Harris tied the game at 4-all with an RBI-double in the bottom of the sixth inning before Kazee drove in the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run on a fielder’s choice.
“We talk to our guys all the time that there is a regular at bat and then there’s a money at bat,” Holman said. “There is only so many money at bats you get in a game and they’re hard to come by. We have to capitalize on those and at the very minimum make them play with their leather to get out of the inning. I thought they did a job of that.”
Hawk senior Keagan Evick later closed out the contest, stranding the game-tying run just 90 feet away.
FINAL/Game 2@RHShawkbaseball 5@SHSJacketsBall 4
The Hawks come back from a four-run deficit to take their first two district games of the 2021 season. pic.twitter.com/tYKQNQeQQ7
— Neil Rye (@NryeTBB) March 17, 2021
Team effort
Holman was thrilled for the upperclassman for coming in and sealing the victory.
“We do Friday testimonies in the offseason where kids step up and kind of talk about their fears and things that may hold them back,” Holman said. “He (Evick) probably gave one of the best testimonies out of any kid I’ve ever had here about how he was so down in the dumps about last year’s club that was extremely talented. … It just speaks volumes about the type of young man that he is. A kid that is always team-first and just the willingness to share that in front of 44 of your other peers, words can’t describe that.”
Kazee praised his teammates for their efforts through two games and believes the sky is the limit for this year’s group.
“Collin Petigo came out and threw real well,” Kazee said. “Conner Doughty caught two great games and Keagan came in and shut it out. I’m excited. I think we can do pretty well this season.”
Up next, Rossview (2-0) travels to Memphis to play in the Lewis-Harris Tournament March 18-20.