Gei pitches Mt. Juliet to 2-1 win

From staff reports

CHATTANOOGA — Marshall Gei spotted Northwest Whitfield [Ga.] a run in the first inning, got a pair of scores in the second and settled down to pitch Mt. Juliet to a 2-1 victory Thursday in the Scenic City Classic at Baylor.

Northwest's first three batters reached base before Gei retired 20 of 22 batters, allowing three hits total, to help Mt. Juliet improve to 2-1.

"Marshall did a great job today," Mt. Juliet coach Jim Carter said. "He pitched ahead in the count all day and minimized the damage in the first. We hung in there and had a lot of good at bats. Proud of our guys today."

Campbell Scholl started Mt. Juliet's second-inning surge with a one-out single and moved around on a wild pitch and a passed ball. He scored on Curt Hoppe's two-out single up the middle.

Zach Ehrhart followed with a bunt single before Cody Carr put Mt. Juliet ahead with an RBI single to right field off Seth Pierce, one of the top-rated pitchers in North Georgia. Whitfield fell to 4-2.

Mt. Juliet will continue play in the Scenic City Classic today with games against St. Benedict and McCallie, both at McCallie.

Bears beaten in home opener

MT. JULIET — LaVergne spoiled Mt. Juliet's home opener with a 4-1 verdict Wednesday night.

The Wolverines erased a 1-0 first-inning Mt. Juliet lead with two runs in the second inning off Austin Smith, who fired five innings. He gave up four hits while striking out eight as the Golden Bears fell to 1-1.

LaVergne added two runs in the top of the seventh inning and finished with six hits.

Mt. Juliet managed four hits, but left eight men on base, including six in scoring position.

The Bears will be in Chattanooga this weekend for the Scenic City Classic. Mt. Juliet will face St. Benedict at 4:30 p.m. CDT and host McCallie at 7 today and Rabun [Ga.] at 10 a.m. Saturday at Baylor.