Searcey's one-hitter hands 4-A flag to FCS

MONTEREY — It took a while for Friendship Christian's hits to start falling. But once they did, the Commanders run-ruled Monterey 11-0 in six innings Wednesday to win the Region 4-A championship.
While Monterey was making plays defensively, Friendship's Cody Searcey held the Wildcats to a single hit and struck out nine as the Commanders climbed into Friday's 4 p.m. home sectional against Chattanooga Arts & Sciences, a 12-4 loser to Lookout Valley.
Leadoff batter Bryant Alsup led Friendship with a 4-for-4 day, getting half of the Commanders' hits, including a double, with an RBI and three runs scored. Brian Cravens drove in three runs on two hits, including a first-inning two-run homer, and scored three times. Jon Miller added an RBI on a hit.
But Friendship [25-12] held only a 3-0 lead until putting five on the board in the fifth and three in the sixth to send Monterey to Lookout Valley with a 27-6 mark.
"There were a couple of innings we hit ropes and they made plays early," said Commander coach John McNeal, who was more concerned with the seven walks and two hit batters by Searcey. "We put nine guys on. They had only one hit and that came the last inning."
Friday's winners will advance to next week's State Tournament in Murfreesboro.

Smyrna scores late to beat Bears 5-1
MT. JULIET — Wednesday's Region 5-AAA final wasn't necessarily the type of game you might expect from two of the final 16 teams left in the state.
But it was suspensful until Smyrna scored four times in the top of the seventh inning for a 5-1 win over Mt. Juliet.
"We didn't play very well," said Mt. Juliet coach Mark Purvis, whose Golden Bears will bring a 34-11 record to Franklin [an 8-2 winner over Overton] on Friday for the sectional. "It was a good ballgame until the seventh inning."
With the game tied 1-1 in the seventh, Smyrna got a one-out seeing-eye single off loser Josh Cotham. Before the inning was done, the Bulldogs took advantage of a couple of wild pitches to chase Cotham for Logan Gray, who recorded the final out.
"Everything kind of went crazy," said Purvis, whose Bears committed three errors. "Defensively, we just didn't play very well."
Mt. Juliet's third-inning run, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead, also came on a wild pitch after Holden Richmond reached on one of Smyrna's two errors. Tyler Carr walked and Lance Harrington reached on a bunt single to load the bases. But a baserunning blunder after Richmond scored cost MJ more runs.
"Missed opportunity," Purvis lamented. "We could have gone up 2 or 3-0, but we didn't."
Cotham allowed five runs on five hits and four walks while fanning four in 6 2/3 innings.
Justin Pack pitched the final two innings in relief of starter Jonathan Rhoad for the win as Smyrna improved to 30-7. The Bulldogs will host Overton on Friday with the winner advancing to next week's State Tournament in Murfreesboro.
Gametime for Mt. Juliet's game at Franklin had not been announced Wednesday. That will will also qualify for the State.