Defense, Pitching Sparkle In Owls' 4-0 Win Vs. Mustangs

Strong defense meant more for Ooltewah than any other aspect of Monday’s key District 5-3A prep baseball game against Walker Valley at A.C. “Bud” Ball Field.

** Owls center fielder Jake Sullivan made an ESPN-worthy diving catch in left-center that probably saved two runs in the first inning.

** Pitcher Daniel Willie picked off a Mustangs runner at first base in the fifth, an inning in which Walker Valley had three hits but again came up empty.

** Willie (3-1) struck out 11 and stranded 11, including three in the seventh.

The end result was a 4-0 win for Ooltewah over the Mustangs in the first of back-to-back games pitting the district’s top two teams.

“This is a huge win for us,” Willie said.

“We have to carry the momentum over to (Tuesday) and do what we do.”

With the win, fourth-ranked Ooltewah (22-5, 7-3) moved into a first-place tie with Walker Valley (17-10, 7-3) in the late-season standings. The same two teams play Tuesday night at 7 at Walker Valley.

“If I know these guys like I think I know them, they’re going to come out tomorrow and play like rabid dogs,” Walker Valley coach Joe Shamblin said. “We’re looking for that kind of bounce-back mentality.”

The Owls made the most of three hits – all singles with two coming on bunts – off Walker Valley starting pitcher Grayson Rountree. Harrison Price worked the seventh and allowed one base runner when he hit Austin Spurgeon.

Ooltewah, state ranked in the latest Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association poll, scratched for all four of its runs.

Andy Reed walked in the first, went to second on a wild pitch, to third on Sullivan’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Andrew Manning’s groundout.

An inning later, Trevor Wiggs drew a walk, stole second, moved to third on an infield hit by Jake Morrow and scored the second run on Zach Wolfe’s sacrifice fly to center.

Wolfe started the fifth with a bunt single, Reed reached on catcher’s interference and both runners advanced on Sullivan’s second sacrifice bunt. Manning put down a bunt and Wolfe scored when Rountree fielded the ball and flipped late to catcher Hunter Shamblin.

Bryce Matthews, running for Reed, raced home to score the final run on a wild pitch.

“Every time we had a chance, especially early, it seemed like we were able to get a bunt down, move a runner over, execute offensively and that’s what you want to see when facing a good pitcher and a good team,” Owls coach Brian Hitchcox said.

The Mustangs weren’t so fortunate.

Tucker Mendenhall, who went 4-for-4, started the game with a first-pitch single to left. Shamblin followed with a high bouncer just out of reach of third baseman Austin Spurgeon and runners were at second and third.

Willie, who has 50 strikeouts in 34 innings with a 1.44 ERA, fanned Rountree. Brady Swafford whiffed too. Second baseman Jordan Munck ripped a Willie offering into the left-center field gap for what looked like a sure double.

However, Sullivan tracked the ball down and despite fighting a tough sun, made a sensational diving catch to end the threat.

“I couldn’t see a thing out there because the sun was awful,” said Sullivan, a junior. “I just hustled and hoped for the best. I was probably five feet away from diving before I thought I had a chance to make the play. That has to be the best catch I’ve made in my whole high school career.”

Willie was much appreciative of Sullivan’s effort.

“At first I’m thinking it’s a hit,” Willie said. “But when he made the catch I could only think of one word. Unbelievable.”

Said Hitchcox of the game’s outstanding play, “That was a big momentum swing for us. It took away momentum from Walker Valley and he kid who hit the heck out of the ball into the gap with guys on second and third and they came up with nothing.”

Willie retired the side in the second. The Mustangs got hits by Mendenhall and Jacob McCall in the third, but Shamblin hit into a double play and Rountree popped out.

With one out in the fifth, McCall singled to right. Moments later he took a sizable lead off first and broke for second. Willie threw over and McCall was nailed in a 1-3-6-1 rundown.

“I felt the urge to make the throw over and it just happens that he was leaning toward second,” Willie said.

Joe Shamblin was a bit stunned by McCall’s base running mistake.

“McCall hadn’t been thrown out all year long and he’s a really good base runner. I don’t know why he was guessing there. He left a hair early.”

Willie started the sixth by striking out Swafford – he fanned four times. Munck singled to left. Blake Peterson flied out to center and Jacob Weir struck out.

The Mustangs put Willie and the Owls in another predicament an inning later.

Mason Oran took a called third strike.

McCall walked.

Mendenhall singled to left.

Willie hit Shamblin to load the bases.

Rountree sent a grounder between first and second but Shamblin was hit by the ball, was called out and runners went back to their bases. The Mustangs remained scoreless.

Swafford struck out to end the game.

“Daniel has thrown great for us all year,” Hitchcox said. “He’s been under the radar and people are starting to realize that he’s pretty darn good. We have a guy with a four-pitch mix who can throw anything at any given time and it’s a tough matchup.

“Walker Valley had a lot of two-strike hits and that’s a good-hitting team up and down the lineup. We’ll have to come back tomorrow and battle again.”

Said coach Shamblin about Rountree’s performance, “Although he just gave up three hits and two were bunt singles, Grayson didn’t have his good stuff. But he did enough to win the game.”

LINESCORE

Walker Valley           000 000 0 – 0 9 0

Ooltewah                  110 020 x – 4 3 0

Rountree, Price (6) and Shamblin; Willie and Reed.

(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)