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.