1. Lexington, TN. Progress, Wednesday, June 1, 2016 - 1B
Email: kate@lexingtonprogress.com
State Champions!Lions Baseball Carries Scotts Hill to New Heights
“I Just Want to
Celebrate” - The Lions
took on Knoxville Grace
at the MTSU Baseball
Stadium last Friday
in the TSSAA Class A
State Championship
game. The Lions beat
the Knoxville Grace
Rams by a score of
8 to 3, solidifying
their State Title and
bringing home the first
State Championship
in Scotts Hill history.
Senior, Junior Kimmel
pitched the last inning
of the game following
Colton McPeake’s six
inning game. Photos by
Kate Faulkner/The Lexington
Progress
On a beautiful Friday
afternoon Scotts Hill found
themselves playing for their
school’s first ever State
Championship. The road
would not be easy as the
Lions would have to play the
defending State Champions
- The Knoxville Grace Rams.
The game started out
great for the boys in black
and gold as they took a 2-0
lead after one inning of play.
However, being a seven
inning game, there was still
plenty of ball to be played.
Knoxville Grace picked
up two runs, one in the
second and another to tie
the game in the third. In the
bottom half of the inning it
was the Scotts Hill Lions
picking up right where they
left off taking back the lead
3-2. They picked up two
more runs in the fourth.
The Rams picked up one
run in the top of the sixth.
The Lions added three
more runs as the Rams fell
apart in the bottom half
sixth inning. Senior pitcher
Junior Kimmel came in
the game in the top of the
seventh to close things out.
With two outs a fly ball
was hit to straight to center
field. As senior centerfielder
Cainan Maners put it, “It
was God’s destiny to have
it end like that.” Maners
camped under the ball. A
senior pitcher threw the last
pitch and a senior made the
catch to secure the first ever
State Championship for the
Scotts Hill Lions. The crowd
erupted and the team rushed
out to centerfield to celebrate
what had just transpired on
the field. A complete team
effort as Scotts Hill was
crowned 2016 Class A State
Champions with an 8-3 win
over Knoxville Grace.
Sophomore Colton ‘Boots’
McPeake started the game.
Head Coach Carl Harken
said “There was no doubt in
my mind who I was starting
for this game. He has ice
water flowing through
his veins.” Sophomore
Hunter Beecham shared
the same sentiment saying
“McPeake is more than
just a competitor he is an
awesome teammate who
is always there to pick you
up and doesn’t let anything
bother him or get to him.
He has a work ethic and a
confidence like no other.”
McPeake threw seven great
innings striking out three.
Junior Kimmel set down the
The Scotts Hill Lions
Roared through the State
Tournament beating a team
who was the odds on favorite
to win the state Tournament
themselves.
The Lions opened up in
the state tournament with a
game against Gordonsville.
The Tigers, like the Lions,
got hot at the right time,
as they came into the
tournament with a losing
record. Scotts Hill showed
everyone who was the
better team. Evan Russell
pitched an almost perfect
game striking out 11 in
the process. The bats for
Scotts Hill were hot for the
day as well. However, after
the first inning they found
themselves down two to
one. It was a massive two
out rally that displayed that
Scotts Hill would be there for
the long run. Five runs came
across all with two outs and
put Scotts Hill on top 6-2.
The Lions would follow that
up with three more runs in
the bottom third inning as
well. They would go on to
put to more runs in the fifth
inning as they dominated
Gordonsville. The final was
11-2.
HunterBeechamindicated
that the big stage would not
bother him at all he went
4-4 with 5 huge RBIs. Evan
Russell and Cody Carter
would not be out done as
they both had two RBIs and
Cainan Maners had a RBI
too. The Lions would go onto
play Loretto Wednesday
afternoon.
Loretto coming into the
season was a favorite by
many people across the
state to win it all. Those
thought were again chirping
as they entered the State
Tournament. However,
the Lions had other ideas.
Junior Kimmel was on
the mound throwing heat
Wednesday. He only stuck
out four batters, but he had
them behind in the count
and whiffing at many of
the balls he threw. The
Mustangs never were able to
get good contact on the ball
as they only had five hits
as Kimmel had a shut out
going into the sixth inning.
Scotts Hill grabbed the lead
in the top of the first inning.
They grabbed three more
runs in the top of the fifth
inning as well. Evan Russell
led the team with two RBIs
and Cody Carter had one
ScottsHillBeatsKnoxGrace
to Take Home State Title
Lions Go Undefeated in Tournament
Play, Tackle Gordonsville First and
Loretto in Second and Third Rounds
SEE LIONS ON 3B
SEE CHAMPS ON 3B
Cody Carter joyfully joins the dugout.
Jonathan Alexander fist bumps his teammates.
Evan Russell celebrates a home run against Loretto. Photos by Kate Faulkner/The Lexington Progress