Greenville beat Spring Hill 8-7 to become the Junior Baseball (13-14) Tennessee State Champions

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Clarksville National Little League is hosting the 2012 State Junior (13-14) Baseball Tournament

Little League Baseball Clarksville, TN – The 2012 State Junior (13-14) Baseball Tournament Championship game was played Saturday afternoon, July 28th at the Clarksville National Fields between Spring Hill and Greenville. The game started at 5:00pm.

Greenville got things started in the bottom of the 1st inning when Lincoln Bowman hit a single between short and third scoring Zane Britton making the score 1-0.

Greenville is the 2012 Junior Baseball (13-14) Tennessee State Champions.

Both teams went scoreless in the 2nd inning. Greenville opened things up in the bottom of the 3rd scoring five runs. The highlight of the inning was when Tanner Barkley ripped a double over the center fielder to score two. The score was now 6-0.

Spring Hill scored one run in the top of the 4th when Brady Johnson hit a double to right center field scoring CJ Esteban.

In the bottom of the 6th, Chase Wagner got things going again for Greenville hitting a double to left center field. Tanner Barkley then hit a single between first and second that scored Wagner. Jarred Adams walks putting runners on first and second. Adams moved to second when Barkley stole third. Joseph Jones grounded out to 3rd but it allowed Barkley to score. At the end of the 6th inning, Greenville was leading 8-1.

Needing six runs to stay alive in the game, Spring Hill’s Austin Dunston got things started hitting a single between short and third. Greenville walked the next two batters to fill the bases. The next two batters walk as well and the third is hit by the pitcher. Three runs score making it 8-4.

Cole Flatt then grounds out but a run scores. The next batter walks filling the bases again. That’s when Josh Wilkinson smashes the ball down the third base line for a double that scored two. It’s now 8-7, one out, with runners at second and third.

The next batter for Spring Hill hits a line drive to the shortstop, who catches the runner on third off base. The shortstop throws to third for the force out, completing the double play and ending the game. The final score was Greenville 8 and Spring Hill 7.

For Spring Hill, Josh Wilkinson had a double with 2 RBIs. Brady Johnson had a double with 1 RBI. Both Zach England and Austin Dunston had a single in the game.

For Greenville, Tanner Barkley was the winning pitcher. He was also 2-4 in the game, with a double, a single and 3 RBIs. Lincoln Bowman went 2-4 with a double, a single and 2 RBIs. Chase Wagner had a double and and single. Zane Britton and Austin McCamey both had a single.

“We started out really well. Towards the end we kinda fell apart but managed pulled it back together and made it happen,” stated Greenville head coach Rex Darnell.

“Tanner Barkley pitched six innings for us and did an outstanding job. Our pitching went really well up until the last inning. I pitched the best two pitchers I had. When the second one came in, I expected a three up and three down game over but for some reason it seemed the strike zone had changed and we could not get a strike,” said Darnell. “We were fortunate enough to change pitchers, then change pitchers again and finally got a double play to end the game and get an 8-7 win.”

“Spring Hill played a good game. If we had played ball it would not have turned out as close as it did,” stated Darnell. “That’s just baseball. You have to play it all the way to the end. We had troubles getting three outs in that last inning. You just have to play all the way to the end and the last out.”

Greenville is the 2012 Junior Baseball (13-14) Tennessee State Champions.

Clarksville National Little League fields are located at 408 Gaylewood Drive, Clarksville behind Barksdale Elementary School.

For more information on Clarksville National Little League, visit their website at: www.clarksvillenational.org