1. Hixson Wildcats continue big year, win
District 6-AA baseball title
May 12th, 2016 by Jeff Rancudo in Sports - Preps Read Time: 2 mins.
Odd as it may seem,clearly both winner and loser from Wednesday's District 6-AA baseball title game in
Hixson head into the Region 3-AA tournament riding waves of hope and optimism.
In capturing the district crown, Hixson ace Tanner Moylan struck out 10 East Ridge batters and scattered
two hits with one walk as the Wildcats routed the tired Pioneers 10-0 in five innings via the run rule.
Hixson (25-10), which hosts a region game next Monday, continues rolling toward what could be the
school's first state playoff appearance. The Wildcats' next win will tie the school record of 26 set in 2005.
Hixson coach Colton Green played on that team and sees plenty of good similarities to this year's
Wildcats.
As best as anyone can tell, East Ridge (9-12) is making its first trip to the region tournament since 1996,
before any of the current players were born. This postseason, the Pioneers made an unlikely run to finish
as the 6-AA tournament runner-up after coming into the district tournament with a losing record.
But their pitching soured Wednesday, when two Pioneers issued 11 walks, and East Ridge committed
four errors in the second inning as Hixson built a 4-0 lead. Green was glad the Pioneers' Cinderella story
slowed down long enough for his Wildcats to check another accomplishment off their list.
"Our number one goal was to win district this year," he said. "Number two was to win that sub-state
game. We've got to get there first. Win that sub-state game and go to state. Hixson's never been to state
before. I think today, (East Ridge) kind of ran out of gas."
Hixson's Kenan Markum was 2-for-4 with the game-ending two-run double, while Brandon Carver
brought in two runs with a second-inning single. The Wildcats made just one error.
"We have really good team chemistry. I have to tell them a lot of times to stop playing wiffle ball or stop
doing that, because they exhaust themselves goofing around," Green said. "But in a good way. They all
love each other. They pull for each other. There's no yelling at each other if somebody makes a mistake. I
think, one, that's a reflection of the philosophy that we try for."
Whatever East Ridge's pregame plan was,the Pioneers generated just two hits, a third-inning single by
Gavin Rienichie and a fourth-inning base hit by Chris Callaham.
Pioneers coach Randall Boldin remained hopeful after the loss.
"Someone asked me today how we've done what we've done. If I had the answer for that, I probably
wouldn't be here," Boldin said. "The kids really came together as a team. Everything we've practiced the
last two years kind of formulated to a head when we started this tournament. Their hopes are up. Their
spirits are up. We've got a region game coming up.
"We've got to regroup and get back to what got us here."