The Commandos, along with Mt Juliet High School hosted the Prep Baseball Report Border Battle this past weekend.  HHS welcomed the top teams from the state of Kentucky along with some of the top programs in the state of Tennessee to Drakes Creek Park.

The Highlands KY came in to the tournament as the second rankend team in the state of Kentucky.  HHS jumped out to a 4-0 lead and got a solid pitching performance from Hayden Layne to beat the Highlanders 5-4.

Austin Mays led off the bottom of the first with a walk and was balked to second.  A passed ball and a wild pitch allowed Mays to score to give HHS a 1-0 lead. 

The Commandos would extend the lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third.  Mays again walked and stole second.  The junior moved to third on an infield error and scored on a sacrifice fly from Brett Coker to give the Commandos a 2-0 lead.

HHS would add two more in teh bottom of the 4th.  Harrison Williams walked and Nate Vaughn reached on an error to put runners at first and second with one out.  A wild pitch mvoed the runners to second and third and a double off the bat of Hayden Mullins scored both Williams and courtesey runner Grant Lang to make the score 4-0 HHS. 

Hayden Layne cruised through the games first five innings allowing only 2 hits.  The Highlands began to fight in the top of the 5th.  A line drive to left was misplayed for an error followed by a sharp single to center to put runners at first and second.  Cameron Hansen  came on in relief of Layne.  A flyout to left got the first out.  But the Highlands scored two on a double to left field to make the score 4-2.  A HBP and a wild pitch moved runners to second and third before a strikeout got the second out of the inning for Hansen.  A sharp single to center scored one to make it 4-3 and the tying run scored when the tag was missed at home plate to allow Highlands to tie the game at 4-4.

After a scoreless bottom of the sixth, Hansen stranded two runners for the Highlands in the top of the 7th to give the Commandos a chance to win the game. 

Reid Nelson doubled off the left field wall to open the bottom of the 7th. Austin Mays laid down a bunt single to put runners at first and third with no one out.  An intentional walk to Hayden Layne loaded the bases before a wild pitch allowed Nelson to score to give the Commandos a walk-off win.  With the win HHS moves to 6-3 on the year. 

The Commandos opened play in District 9AAA for the second year in a row with a loss to Wilson Central.  The Wildcats overcame an early 2-0 deficit to rally from behind for the win.

Sophomore Hayden Mullins started on the mound for HHS and got off to a good start in the first innings striking out two hitters.  HHS scored two runs in the bottom of the first as Gabe Dalton doubled to drive in Austin Mays who had reached on an error and Hayden Layne who had singled.

The score remained 2-0 until the top of the 5th when Mullins ran into trouble.  Despite not allowing a hit and striking out 9 batters, the lefty walked 7 and hit a man  and left in the fifth with the score 2-1 and the bases loaded.  Wilson Central would get a single and a triple to score 5 in the inning to go up 5-2.

 HHS would rally for a run in the bottom of the 5th as Hayden Layne drove in courtesy runner Grant Lang with a two-out single to make the score 5-3.

The Commandos would load the bases in the bottom of the 7th with one out but back to back strikeouts ended the game. 

With the loss Hendersonville drops to 5-3 on the year and is now 0-1 in District 9AAA. 

The Commandos were defeated by nationally ranked Greenbrier Arkansas 9-7 in the semi-finals of the Gulf Shores Classic.  Greenbrier would go on to win the tournament with a 6-3 win over Beech.

HHS jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the team that featured players who have signed with the University of Arkansas and Whichita State among others.  Hayden Layne, Gabe Dalton, Gaylen Rutledge, Austin Halas and Reid Nelson all had key RBI doubles in the third inning which saw the Commandos score 7 times. 

Junior lefty Michael Waller got the start on the mound for the Commandos and was solid in his first career varsity outing.  Waller allowed three runs through four innings of work. 

Greenbrier mounted a comeback starting the bottom of the 5th as they scored 4 times off two Commando relief pitchers.  Greenbrier took the lead in the bottom of the 6th on a bases loaded hit by a pitch before Caid Sanders was summoned from the bulpen.  The Freshman struck out the final two batters of the inning. 

Despite a single from Nate Vaughn in the top of the 7th HHS was unable to rally and ended the game with the tying run at the plate.  With the loss HHS falls to 5-2 on the year. 

The Comomandos faced a familiar foe in game four of the Gulf Shores Classic as they defeated the Bears of Davidson Academy 4-3.  Sophomore Chase Nelson got the win on the mound pitching 4 and 2/3 innings allowing 1 run.  Caid Sanders and Kobe Carter finished the game on the mound for HHS.  Sanders struck out 3 in an inning and a third of work while Carter earned his first save of the year striking out 2 in the 7th.

 HHS scored first in the bottom of the third inning as Reid Nelson and Austin Mays led off with back to back singles.  Hayden Layne drove in Nelson and Brett Coker drove in Mays to give HHS a 2-0 lead.  HHS would make it 3-0 in the bottom of the 4th when Gaylen Rutledge hit a double off the center field fence to drive in Grant Lang who was running for Nate Vaughn.  Keaton Wilson drove in a run in the bottom of the 6th to give HHS a much needed insurance run, again scoring Lang who was running for Vaughn.

With the win the Commandos advanced to the Semi-finals of the tournament and moved to 5-1 on the year. 

Despite seeing its four-run lead whittled down by the end, the Commandos still held off Bentonville for a 5-4 victory on Tuesday. Hayden Layne had a big day at the plate with 2 HR  and 4 RBIs. He went 3-for-3 at the plate.                

Hayden Mullins was stellar on the mound for the Commandos picking up his first win of the season.  The Sophomore lefty threw six innings, giving up one run, three hits, and striking out ten. Eric Altizer threw two-thirds of an inning, as recorded the last two outs to earn the save for his first of the season after Bentonville had cut the HHS lead to 1 on a three-run homer.

Gabe Dalton added a homer to help the Commando offense which collected nine hits. Layne and Brett Coker each collected multiple hits for the Commandos.  With the win HHS moves to 4-1 on the year.