NASHVILLE – The Nashville Scrappers are putting in a great deal of work on the diamond this week as they played and won three games in three days at the beginning of the week and look to have another Friday.
The first of the trio of games already played this week was Monday afternoon against the Fountain Lake Cobras at Wilson Park in Nashville. Play started with the Cobras making an early run in a five play top half, but the Nashville boys immediately pounded in a crushing series of runs before the end of the first. Jackson Beavert was the first to be brought home on a line drive to right field by Nick Myers, then Trace Beene ran in on an error, Myers walked in, Hunter White was swatted home with a sacrifice fly by Dalton Smead, Zach Jamison scored as Tyler Hanson grounded out at second and Chas Scott was walked in for a massive six runs to one going into the second.
The Fountain Lake team then put three up, three down, allowing the Scrappers to again take the field in short order, who were quick to take advantage by making three runs in eight plays. First was Beene, brought home on a fly to left from Jamison, followed by both White and Jamison run in from a grounder to left from Lucas Liggin. This set the score at Nashville 9-1 with only two innings completed.
The Cobras at this point realized the necessity of a rally, and pushed forward with three runs on seven plays by keeping the bases loaded for their half of the third. The brief narrowing of their lead did not deter the Scrappers, as Beavert scored on a ground ball to left field by Myers and Beene ran in on a wild pitch to make the score Nashville 4-11.
Fountain Lake was unable to add runs through the bottom of the fifth, though the Nashville boys got one per inning with Jordan Williams reaching the plate on an error in the fourth and Myers being brought in on a sacrifice fly by Jamison in the fifth.
The Cobras pushed through one more run for the game in the top of the sixth on a fielder’s choice, but it would prove to be too little far too late to alter the outcome of the game. In the bottom of the sixth, the Scrappers managed after four plays to get Williams and Scott both in on a line drive to left from Beene – which triggered the 10-run rule and ended the game. Final score Nashville 15-5.
Liggin was credited with the win, racking up five strikeouts of 44 batters faced from the dish, while Beene led from the batter’s box with three runs, three hits and two RBIs, as well as one base on balls in four at bats.
A similar tale was told about the contest Tuesday at Fouke against the Panthers, though the Nashville team was more consistent in their scoring in that game.
Play began with the Scrappers jumping to and early lead with two runs in the first inning: Beavert in on a wild pitch and Myers coming in as White was grounded out at third.
Fouke put three up, three down, and the Scrappers were back at it, running in both Scott and Preston Pope on a fly ball to left by Beavert in the top of the second. This set the score Nashville 4-0.
The Panthers made base several times in the bottom of the second, but were unable to translate that into runs, turning it back over to the Scrappers in seven plays. In the third, Nashville again scored two runs – this time with White stealing home and Jamison in on a sacrifice fly by Smead.
After another half where Fouke was scoreless, the Nashville boys were gifted with a big push. After Beavert scored on a grounder to short from Myers, Beene, Myers, White and Jamison were all walked in by the Panther pitcher. This put the score at Nashville 11-0, not yet triggering the 10-run rule because the required four and a half to five innings had not been played.
The Fouke team worked desperately to dig out of their hole in the bottom of the fourth, and did manage a single run on a fly to right field. They also managed to keep the Scrappers scoreless for the top of the fifth, but failed to make traction in the bottom of the fifth. When that inning ended with the score still at Nashville 11-1, the 10-run rule came into the effect and ended the game.
Hanson receives credit for the win, not only because of his nearly 56 pecent strikes on the mound, but also for making base on balls three separate times. Beavert was the most effective batter for the Scrappers in the game, with two runs, two hits and two RBIs in four at bats.
The third day of baseball saw the Scrappers again home at Wilson Field, hosting the Prescott Curly Wolves. Much as the two previous games, this did not run a full seven innings.
The game was entirely Nashville’s with the Curly Wolves only scoring on the next to last play of the game. The Nashville team saw scoring in most of the five innings. Beene was walked in for the single run in the first, Beavert was brought in on a line drive to center by Beene and Beene was himself brought home on a similar play by Myers in the second. The third inning saw a double digit jump in the score as Jamison stole home, Williams and Liggin ran in on a line drive to left by Hanson, Hanson came in on a fly to left by Willard, Willard stole home, Beene scored on a line drive to center by Myers, Myers ran in, White and Jamison were brought home on a line drive to center by Smead, and Hanson made home on another line drive to center, this one from Willard. That scoring series pushed the score to Nashville 14-0.
The fourth also saw a single run brought home as Williams ran in on a line drive to left by Liggin.
As mentioned previously, the Curly Wolves only dropped one run, in the top of the fifth as they snuck in on a passed ball, but it did nothing to alter the result as the 10-run rule was imposed after that half of the inning. Final score was Nashville 15-1.
Pope takes credit for the win here, with a slightly better than 63 percent strike margin on his pitches in four innings.
The Scrappers are next scheduled to step out on the diamond against the Waldron Bulldogs Friday afternoon in Waldron.
