Article by Craig Harris with the Gallatin News Examiner:

  

HENDERSONVILLE – With neither team able to change its district standing, Monday evening's 9-AAA finale between the Gallatin and Hendersonville prep baseball teams was nothing more than a postseason tune-up.

However, it was the Commandos who had more horsepower on Monday as they rolled to an 11-4 victory at Drakes Creek Park.

"We've been playing decent," Hendersonville senior second baseman Drew Richard said. "Tonight, we played well. We hit the ball, fielded the ball, didn't have a lot of errors.

"We needed a quality game before the (district) tournament."

Most of the scoring came early on as the two teams combined to produce just two runs over the final four innings.

The Commandos took control from outset, scoring four runs in the opening frame.

"Our sophomore year, it was more me, me, me," Richard said. "As we have grown up together, it's more of, 'what can I do to help the team (on) this pitch?' We're doing a pretty good job of that recently."

Hendersonville senior Connor Fischer led off the bottom of the first by reaching on an infield single, and Richard laid down a bunt single. Classmate Ben Smith followed with a single up the middle to drive in Fischer, and junior Grant Williams singled to leftfield to score Richard.

Both Smith and junior courtesy runner Aris Welden scored when senior Jarcques Wordlaw reached on a fielding error, creating the 4-0 lead.

Commando senior Braden Schwerdt drew a leadoff walk in the second inning and eventually scored thanks to the Green Wave's third passed ball of the inning.

Gallatin (8-17 overall, 2-4 in the District 9-AAA North Division) responded though in the top of the third inning.

Sophomore Andy Denning led off with a single, and senior Jared Riesterer drew a base on balls. Denning scored thanks to a throwing error, and junior James Rockwell came through with a two-out single to rightfield that drove in both Riesterer and junior Billy Campbell, pulling the Wave within two runs (5-3).

"You go back and look at tonight, and we give up three runs in an inning," Hendersonville head coach Mike Hendrix said. "There was no need in it. Just keep it simple. Do what you can do. Stay within your limits. Don't get outside of your limits."

The Commandos responded immediately though, erupting for five runs in the third inning.

Senior Justin Long and Fischer singled in senior Austin Brown and junior courtesy runner Jon Swindle, respectively, and Richard reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Schwerdt to cross the plate.

Williams had a two-out single to drive in Long and Richard, extending the lead to 10-3.

"We are getting more production out of the bottom of the order, the seven, eight and nine (hitters)," Hendrix said. "If our one through six (hitters) don't swing and score runs, we've been in trouble. Our seven, eight and nine need to sit up there and have an approach and do what they can do."

Hendersonville (24-6, 5-1) finished with 11 hits. Fischer, Richard and Williams all had two hits, and eight of the nine Hendersonville starters had at least one hit.

"We feel confident – at the plate – that we can make something happen no matter who is pitching," Richard said.

Each team added a run in the sixth inning.

Gallatin sophomore Jordan Mason doubled down the leftfield line in the sixth inning and scored on Riesterer's triple.

Schwerdt's sacrifice fly drove in Brown in the bottom of the frame.

The Green Wave had eight hits but left 10 men on base, six of which were stranded in scoring position.

"We left too many on base and made too many errors," Gallatin head coach Mark Wilson said. "It's not a good combination.

"Our kids have worked extremely hard in trying to do what we want them to do. We are a play here, an error there (away) that good teams don't make. We're young. We're learning. We're striving to get better every day."

Rockwell finished with three hits and also pitched the first five innings, and Riesterer provided two hits.

Hendersonville used five pitchers, with Williams (5-1) pitching the first 1 2/3 innings to earn the win. He allowed three hits and struck out four hitters.

The Commando staff issued three walks and struck out 13 hitters. Junior left-hander Brandon Fuller allowed one hit, issued one walk and struck out five hitters in his 1 2/3 innings.

"When you play Hendersonville, you are going to get pitching, pitching, pitching," Wilson said. "I don't know if all of them are John Smoltz (a former pitcher for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves), but they throw strikes and vary their location. It's effective."

The District 9-AAA Tournament consists of a double-elimination format and will be held at two different sites, at Mt. Juliet High School and Drakes Creek Park.

Hendersonville – the No. 1 seed from the 9-AAA North Division – will host Station Camp, which is the No. 4 seed from the South Division, on Friday evening at 7.

Gallatin – the No. 3 seed from the North Division – will face Lebanon, which is the No. 2 seed from South Division, on Friday afternoon at 4 at Drakes Creek Park.

"There is a good vibe right now," Richard said. "Attitudes have been better the past two or three games. We're all confident in who we are."

Richard is one of the team's 10 seniors and seven senior starters, a group that includes six three-year starters and one four-year starter (Long, the team's shortstop).

"It's a lot more bitter than sweet," Richard said of the end of their playing career drawing near. "We have three guys playing at the next level (Smith at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill.; Fischer at Sewanee-The University of the South; and pitcher Matthew Osborne at Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky.) and one playing football (Wordlaw, who will play at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Ky.). We have to make it as sweet as we can to go out on a good note.

"We were talking about getting cleated (at second base by an opposing player sliding). Justin said, 'I'll get cleated 30 more times if it takes us to state.' I will too."

Sports reporter Craig Harris can be contacted at 575-7138.

 

Gallatin 003 001 0 – 4 8 1

Hendersonville 415 001 x – 11 11 4

James Rockwell, Billy Campbell (6) and Bailey Russell; Grant Williams, Will Wacaser (2), Brandon Fuller (4), Ian MacMaster (5), Andrew Dorris (7) and Cooper Brenning. WP – Williams (5-1). LP – Rockwell. Records: Gallatin 8-17 overall, 2-4 in the District 9-AAA North Division; Hendersonville 24-6, 5-1.

Congratulations to Coach Herman and our 2015 JV Commandos who ended their season with a 13-6 win over Mt Juliet in the City by the Lake Invitational.  The JV squad ended their season with a record of 11-9-2.  We are proud of the efforts of Coach Herman and all these young men.

The Commandos celebrated Senior Day with a 7-6 come from behind win over Friendship Christian.  HHS made 6 errors on the day but got a lift from Senior Alec Nelson on the mound.  Nelson came in relief in the third inning and threw 5 and 1/3 innings of one run baseball to get his 4th win of the year and settle down the game to allow HHS a chance to come from behind.  Grant Williams and Ben Smith had multiple hits on the day and Braden Schwerdt scored three runs.  The bottom half of the Commando order was key in the victory.

 

The Commandos used three pitchers to throw a combined no-hitter and Grant Williams had four hits to lead HHS to a 14-2 victory over White House Heritage.

 Ethan White, Ian MacMaster, and Brandon Fuller teamed up to stifle White House Heritage, striking out eight while walking eight.

Fuller was in control on the hill. Fuller held White House Heritage hitless over three innings, allowed no earned runs, walked one and struck out four.

Six runs in the first three innings helped Commandos blow out White House Heritage. An RBI double by Grant Williams during the first inning and an error, a two-run single by Connor Fischer, an RBI double by Ben Smith, and an RBI single by Grant Williams in the second inning helped Commandos put some runs on the board early.

Article by Chris Brooks (Hendersonville Star News)

 

HENDERSONVILLE – Revenge, as it's commonly said, is a dish best served cold.

Hendersonville High senior Grant Williams handed out a bit of revenge on Wednesday evening, helping the Commando baseball team capture a 6-1 victory over visiting Beech at Drakes Creek Park.

Williams got a nice birthday present as well, earning a complete-game victory to avenge a 7-0 loss at Beech one night earlier.

"We actually needed a good butt-whooping," Williams said. "We need to get back in the swing of things like we did tonight."

Williams (4-1) struck out eight Beech hitters and did not walk anybody, giving up six hits in seven innings. He did hit three batters, but none of those baserunners scored.

"Other than my changeup, I felt like I had a lot of command," Williams said. "It felt pretty good."

Williams threw first-pitch strikes to 18 of 30 batters he faced in the contest.

"The big thing was Grant pitched a good ballgame tonight," Hendersonville head coach Mike Hendrix said. "He kept them off-balance. He's going to give up some hits, but he keeps them off-balance and does a good job."

Hendersonville (21-6 overall, 4-1 in the District 9-AAA North Division) scored a run in the second inning when junior catcher Cooper Brenning singled in senior Austin Brown, giving the host squad a 1-0 lead against Beech junior starting pitcher Bradley Crafton.

"The things we've been doing lately to be successful, we didn't get them done tonight," Beech head coach Jimmy Neal said. "A lot of it goes to Williams. He pitched a great game. I'm not taking credit away from him at all. We didn't control the things that we could control."

The Commandos added to the advantage with a pair of runs in the fourth inning as senior Jarcques Wordlaw's double to centerfield allowed Brown to score his second run of the game. Classmate Braden Schwerdt's sacrifice fly drove in Wordlaw two batters later, giving Hendersonville a 3-0 lead.

"I did a little thinking (after Tuesday night's game), and we tried some hitting-and-running, trying to move a bit tonight," Hendrix said. "We got some balls through. Six hits tonight compared to two (Tuesday), I'll take six hits and six runs anytime."

Beech (17-9, 4-2) got on the board in the top of the sixth inning as junior Isaac Robertson scored after senior Nathan Neal reached base thanks to an errant throw on a squeeze-bunt attempt.

"We hit the ball well," Jimmy Neal said. "We just didn't turn it into runs."

Williams helped his own cause in the bottom of the sixth inning, doubling to right-centerfield to begin the inning. After Beech Ian McWilliams – who relieved Crafton (3-3) to begin the fifth inning – walked Wordlaw with one out, Schwerdt collected his second run batted in (RBI) of the game when he singled in junior courtesy runner Jon Swindle.

Senior Justin Long followed Schwerdt's effort with a two-run double to right-centerfield, scoring Wordlaw and Schwerdt.

"It was good to see Justin Long get a two-run double," Hendrix said. "It was good to see Schwerdt put the ball in play. When the first four or five (batters in the order) aren't swinging it, the next three or four have to help us out sometime."

Hendrix believes Tuesday's 7-0 loss at Beech may have served as a wake-up call for the team ranked No. 7 statewide in Class AAA in the Tennessee Baseball Coaches' Association poll.

"We told them after (Tuesday's game) that they went over there thinking Beech couldn't beat them," Hendrix said. "But anybody can beat you on any given night around here."

Williams added, "We need to get back on our grind. We haven't been focused the last few games."

Despite finishing with the same number of hits as Hendersonville (six), the Buccaneers were unable to cash in early on.

Beech loaded the bases in the second inning before senior Brady Ballinger hit a ground ball right back to Williams, who started a double play that went to Brenning at home plate and finished at first base with senior Ben Smith.

"We had to have the same kind of focus and execution that we had (Tuesday)," Jimmy Neal said. "We didn't have that tonight."

The Commandos clinched the District 9-AAA North Division title with the victory, and will host their half of the tournament bracket beginning on Friday evening. Hendersonville will host Station Camp, who is the No. 4 seed from the South Division.

"It was a big deal," Williams said. "It gives us a better chance to host in the district tournament."

Beech would have won the division with a victory.

"That's what we wanted," Neal said. "I talked to the guys before we came over here. We wanted to be in a position to control our own destiny, so to speak, and we would have a chance to come in here and get things done."

Now, the Buccaneers will be the No. 2 seed from the North Division and will face the No. 3 seed from the South, which could be either Lebanon or Wilson Central.

"We have to let things play out, but that's okay too," Neal said. "Last year, we came up short, and we got a good little run during district time. We'll just let things shake out. We have to play somewhere (in the postseason), and wherever it is, we'll go at it and see what happens."