Prep Baseball Report

PBR Spotlight Game: Knoxville Central Knocks Off Oak Ridge



Insider scouting notes on this game will be posted in the Tennessee Scout Blog

By Chris McDaniel
PBR Tennessee Scout

Oak Ridge, TN - A beautiful East Tennessee day provided the backdrop for an outstanding pitching performance from class of 2016, Knoxville Central RHP Alex Haynes. The junior dominated the Wildcats of Oak Ridge in a matchup of District 3 AAA foes. Haynes stuck out 13 over 5 innings, en route to a 5-1 victory for the Bobcats of Central.

Haynes retired the first six batters for Oak Ridge, four via strikeout, before 2018 MIF Logan Williams lined a 90 mph fastball into right field. Haynes then stuck out the next five Wildcats he faced. Haynes’ velocity dipped some in the fifth inning while allowing his first base-on-balls in the frame. His day would end in the 6th after walking the first two batters of the inning. For the day, Haynes scattered 3 hits and allowed 1 run over 5 innings pitched. To go along with his 13 K's, he had 3 BB's.

Not to be out dueled, starting pitcher for Oak Ridge, 2016 RHP Spencer Wilson, carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before allowing a base hit to LF Garrett Hamilton to lead off the frame. Central scored the first run on a balk by Wilson, after he issued a walk to CF Jeremy Howard in the third. Wilson pitched into the 6th inning as well, allowing four runs, three earned, on three hits and four BB's. He had three strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched.

Central did most of their damage at the plate in the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings. Hamilton's single in the 5th broke up the no-no and a bunt single by RF Lyndon Wilson got the Bobcats going. Howard drove in the second run with a deep fly ball to left. Haynes helped out his own cause in the 6th, driving in courtesy runner Kane Garrett and scoring a run on another single from Hamilton. Third baseman Dane Rhenecker singled to lead off the 7th and was driven in by DH Stephen Trewhitt to add one last insurance run for the Bobcats off reliever Logan Williams.

Oak Ridge looked to gain momentum in the bottom half of the 5th with a lead-off double to second baseman Hunter Sampson. Sampson scored the only run of the day for the Wildcats, when Williams singled up the middle. Haynes struck out the side, as the Wildcats stranded two runners in scoring position. Oak Ridge would leave four more runners on base over the 6th and 7th innings as side arm RHP Nick Stamps, of Central, would earn the two inning save. Stamps allowed no runs on two hits. He struck out three over two innings of work.