Article by Craig Harris (Gallatin News Examiner)

HENDERSONVILLE – Graduation day is one that most high-school seniors look forward to.

For the Hendersonville High senior baseball players, graduation day will be superseded by game day.

The elder Commandos weren’t complaining though as they earned the right to host one eight Class AAA sectional games thanks to Wednesday evening’s 13-5 victory over visiting Wilson Central in the Region 5-AAA Tournament championship game, which was played at Drakes Creek Park.

“We’re definitely blessed to have the opportunity to play in the substate (sectional) and graduate on this field,” Hendersonville senior rightfielder Austin Brown said. “It’s definitely a blessing.”

The graduation ceremony begins an hour before the Commandos’ 7 p.m. contest against visiting Centennial, which suffered a 9-7 loss to Ravenwood in Wednesday evening’s Region 6-AAA championship game.

“We are stoked,” Hendersonville senior second baseman Drew Richard said. “I personally would rather everybody graduate and then come watch us graduate after the game.”

Main Street separates Hendersonville High and Drakes Creek Park, with less than a mile between the two.

Only the regional champions host sectional games, while the regional runner-up squads have to travel for their sectional contest. Therefore, by winning Wednesday’s contest, it gave the Commandos’ senior classmates the opportunity to watch the conclusion of Friday’s sectional.

Hendersonville trailed for the first time in the postseason on Tuesday, albeit only briefly.

“It might have been good for them to get behind, battle back and have to catch up,” Commando head coach Mike Hendrix.

Hendersonville senior Connor Fischer singled to lead off the bottom of the first inning and scored on classmate Ben Smith’s sacrifice fly.

However, a pair of two-out hits placed the Wildcats in front in the top of the second.

Senior Dalton McCorkle’s double to centerfield tied the contest, and classmate Colten Morris followed by lifting a fly ball over the wall in rightfield, giving Wilson Central a 3-1 advantage.

The Commandos responded immediately though, erupting for seven runs in the bottom of the frame and chasing sophomore starting pitcher Ryan Hill from the game.

Brown drew a leadoff walk and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Braden Schwerdt.

Richard’s two-out single to right-centerfield drove in junior courtesy runner Jon Swindle and senior Justin Long, placing Hendersonville in front to stay.

After Smith drew a walk to reload the bases, junior Grant Williams hit a grand slam down the leftfield line, creating an 8-3 cushion for his squad.

It was Williams’ third home run this season, two of which have come in the postseason.

“Of course, it’s huge (to respond),” Richard said. “I don’t think we had any doubt we would respond.

“We’re pretty good at winning the inning. It looks like we won about every inning.”

Fischer drove in Swindle with another sacrifice fly in the third inning, and Commando junior starting pitcher Will Wacaser held the Wildcat hitters at bay until the sixth.

Wacaser (4-3) allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits over 5 and 1/3 innings. The right-hander hit three batters, did not issue a base on balls and struck out six.

“Will hasn’t had his best stuff, but he goes out and battles,” Hendrix said. “He’s going to give you everything he’s got. He gave us five innings.

“We didn’t help him out (defensively) in the sixth.”

Hendersonville junior Ian MacMaster came on in the top of the sixth with one out and the bases loaded and issued a walk to force in a run, but the left-hander followed that with back-to-back flyouts to Brown in rightfield and senior centerfielder Jarcques Wordlaw.

Then, MacMaster struck out the first two hitters in the seventh before sophomore right-hander Andrew Dorris came on to end the game with a strikeout.

A walk to Fischer and singles by Williams and junior Aaron Weakley loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth, and Brown laced the first pitch he saw into the right-centerfield gap for a three-run triple.

Brown scored thanks to Wordlaw’s sacrifice fly, creating the final score.

The Commandos finished with 10 hits. Both Schwerdt and Williams produced two hits.

It was Hendersonville’s third win over Wilson Central this season, including a 3-1 victory over the visiting Wildcats on March 25 and a 2-0 win over Wilson Central one week earlier in the District 9-AAA Tournament title game.

“(The familiarity) helps with knowing your opponent, what the hitters do and what the pitchers throw,” Brown said. “I think that benefitted us.”

It is the seventh regional title for the Commando program, but the first since 2000 (a 7-4 win at Henry County that came thanks to Brad Higdon’s sixth-inning grand slam). Hendersonville also won the region in 1980, 1983, 1994, 1995 and 1999.

“It means a ton to bring home this many wins and to bring home two plaques so far,” Richard said. “We’re playing pretty well.”

The Commandos improved to 32-11, while the Wildcats fell to 21-11-1.

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

Wilson Central 030 002 0 – 5 4 0

Hendersonville 171 004 x – 13 10 2

Ryan Hill, Tony Pfefferle (2), Jacob Davis (3), Dalton McCorkle (6) and Chase Ford; Will Wacaser, Ian MacMaster (6), Andrew Dorris (7) and Cooper Brenning. WP – Wacaser (4-3). LP – Hill. Home runs: Wilson Central – Colten Morris; Hendersonville – Grant Williams (3). Records: Wilson Central 21-11-1, Hendersonville 32-11.