The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

District 9-AAA at a glance




9-AAA collage

9-AAA collage

Baseball & softball tournament schedules 

9-AAA BASEBALL MAY 11 at Brent Foster Field, LHS

4 pm Portland v. Lebanon (loser out)

7 pm Beech v. winner of PHS – LHS

at Mel Brown Athletic Complex, MJHS

4 pm Mt. Juliet v. Station Camp (loser out)

7 pm Green Hill v. winner of MJ – SCHS

9-AAA SOFTBALL MAY 11 at Wilson Central

5 pm Wilson Central v. Green Hill (loser out)

7 pm Station Camp v. winner of WCHS – GHHS

at Drakes Creek Park, Hendersonville

5 pm Lebanon v. Mt. Juliet (loser out)

7 pm Beech v. winner of LHS – MJHS

SOFTBALL Mt. Juliet 12, Gallatin 4

HENDERSONVILLE — Mt. Juliet takes on Lebanon Tuesday in a 5 pm loser-out game of the District 9-AAA softball tournament at Drakes Creek Park.

The winner will turn around and play Beech in the first game of the finals with an “if necessary” game planned Wednesday.

HENDERSONVILLE - Mt. Juliet's Savannah Schaffer (10) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run. BRETT BERWAGER

HENDERSONVILLE – Mt. Juliet’s Savannah Schaffer (10) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run. BRETT BERWAGER

The Lady Bears eliminated Gallatin 12-4 Monday, piling up a combined 11 runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. 

The win marked the second time the Lady Bears had to fight their way back after being down during the tournament, but it was the first time Coach kevin Costley’s crew managed to pull out a win. 

“These girls are blue-collar workers. They are not scared to go to work,” he said. 

Trailing 4-1 in the top of the fourth inning, Mt. Juliet tied the game on a single from Karli Costley, scoring Brylee Sayer after Sayer initially reached on a first-pitch double to left field.

Karah Hood doubled to right field with two outs, scoring Costley, and Gabby Faccadio doubled to plate Hood, giving Mt. Juliet all the momentum.

Freshman pitcher Taylor Haymans gave up a first batter single but responded with two popouts and a strikeout to end Gallatin’s inning. 

The Lady Bears claimed a 5-4 lead in the fifth inning, their first lead since the top of the first when Cali Hughes scored on a Haymans sacrifice bunt to the Lady Wave pitcher. 

HENDERSONVILLE - Mt. Juliet infielders gather with pitcher Taylor Haymans during Monday's 12-4 win over Gallatin.  BRETT BERWAGER

HENDERSONVILLE – Mt. Juliet infielders gather with pitcher Taylor Haymans during Monday’s 12-4 win over Gallatin.  BRETT BERWAGER

“Momentum is contagious; hitting is contagious,” Costley said. “Your mind is your biggest enemy at the plate, and once they got up there and cleared their mind, you saw the results.” 

The game changed in the bottom of the fifth inning for both teams. Trailing 5-4, Gallatin looked to take back control with runners on first and second and two outs, but a pick-off at first base thwarted the Lady Wave opportunity, giving Mt. Juliet all the momentum. 

“That was a big play, no doubt,” Costley said. 

Mt. Juliet responded with their best inning of the two-day tournament, plating seven runs on a single, triple, two-two run home runs, a single, and Lady Wave defensive error for the 12-4 advantage. 

Haymans closed out the game with three straight outs. 

“She has grown tremendously since the start of the season,” Costley said. “She struggled to finish out games, and now you see her go the distance no problem. Mentally and physically, she has taken the next step.”

HENDERSONVILLE - Lebanon's Hannah Totaro rounds second and heads to third.  ZACH WOMBLE

HENDERSONVILLE – Lebanon’s Hannah Totaro rounds second and heads to third.  ZACH WOMBLE

SOFTBALL Beech 19, Lebanon 12

HENDERSONVILLE – Beech scored six runs in bottom of the sixth to hold off Lebanon 19-12 in the winner’s bracket finals of the District 9-AAA softball tournament Monday at Drakes Creek Park.

The slugfest featured 36 hits and 14 walks as the Lady Bucs moved on to Tuesday’s 7 pm championship game. LHS will face Mt. Juliet at 5 pm in a loser-out contest.

Leadoff batter Ella Bishop went 5-for-6 at the plate for Beech and scored five times while Whitney Lee drove in six runs on a home run and a double. Briley Johnson ripped two doubles on a 3-for-3 effort with three RBI.

Lebanon’s Casey Fox finished 4-for-4 and drove in four runs; Jordan Bush drove in three with a double and Sarah Kizer clubbed two doubles for two RBI.

BASEBALL Beech 5, Lebanon 3

LEBANON – Solid pitching and a bit of small ball proved to be the difference as Beech knocked off Lebanon 5-3 Monday in the second round of the District 9-AAA baseball tournament at Brent Foster Field.

With the victory, the Bucs improved to 23-9 and moved into Tuesday night’s bracket championship game against the survivor of a afternoon contest between Lebanon (18-15) and Portland.

Beech forged an early 2-0 lead, taking advantage of some wildness from LHS starter John Tomlinson.

The Middle Tennessee commitment walked three in the top of the first, then allowed one run to score on a wild pitch before a second runner scored on an error by the catcher.

The Blue Devils tied the score at 2-2 with a pair in the bottom of the fourth as pinch-hitter Brice Njezic stroked a two-out, two-run double to the warning track in left.

Beech pulled ahead 3-2 in the top of the fifth as Bradley Wheeler’s RBI single drove in Ethan Jackson from third. Jackson opened the inning with a walk, then moved to second on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Austin Mitchell. Jackson moved over to third on a bunt single by leadoff man Parker Juillerat.

The Bucs padded their lead with two in the top of the sixth as Jackson’s squeeze bunt brought home a run, then Juillerat lined a single to left to score Jacob Davis who had reached on a single.

Beech starter Luke Sinnard struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth, but hit a batter to start the seventh and walked pinch-hitter KK West. The Western Kentucky University commitment left the game with 14 strikeouts on 111 pitches. He gave up five hits and walked two.

Reliever Preston Drebes quickly struck out two Blue Devils before allowing an RBI single by Will Burress.

Drebes then retired Carson Boles on a come-backer to the mound, earning the save.

“Our pitching was great tonight,” said Beech coach Josh Carman. “We got some key hits and played some small ball. That was the key. The boys executed on a hit and run and we got a couple of bunts down.”

Lebanon’s Tomlinson (4-1) was tagged with the loss. He scattered six hits, walked four and struck out eight in five and two-third innings of work.

Beech catcher Caden Cutrell went 2-for-3 while Juillerat had a pair of singles and drove in a run.

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