Seymour slips

The baseball Eagles are looking for some answers as the season reaches its midpoint. Entering the week at 7-7, SHS went on a three game slide, dropping two games to district rival Gibbs and a Friday contest at Cocke County. SHS gave up runs early and was forced to mount rallies, the last two games the last out came with the tying run either in scoring position or at the plate. Still, Eagles coach Brain McCord likes the team’s progress. “You can see the team coming together. The defense is getting better and the pitching is starting to take over games.” With the stretch run ahead and expectations still high for the perennial district and region contender, Seymour needs to break the skid and rediscover their winning ways this week in games with Powell, Greenback and G.P. McCord is confident the team is on the right track, “They are getting real close to making the end of season run and gain momentum for the play-offs.” Gibbs 10, Seymour 7 In a see-saw game at Don Doyle Field, Gibbs took the last upswing in a contest which had seen both teams lead numerous times. Gibb’s Josh McDaniels managed to keep SHS scoreless in the last three innings after they had pounded seven runs on six hits through the first four innings and a 7-7 tie game. Kevin Koeneman took the mound for Seymour and appeared to be getting stronger as the game progressed in the fifth, chalking two K’s and with two strikes on the fourth batter Ben Roberts. Roberts singled, setting up a three run inning and a 10-7 lead. Sanzo came in to close for Seymour, baffling the Gibbs batters for the last two innings as he struck out six, yielding no hits and walking two. “Kevin was not his usual…but you can can see he is getting closer and closer to his old self after a two year lay off,” said coach McCord. Seymour was on the verge of teetering the game back their way in the seventh when Adam Gossett came to the plate representing the tying run with Manis (3-3, 2 RBI’s) on deck. Gossett connected on McDaniel’s fifth pitch but it rolled into a grounder and SHS took its second loss in District 3-AA play. Gibbs 9, Seymour 4 Logan McNulty got Seymour going at Gibbs in the first clash of the district rivals when he turned a second inning Sherwood pitch into a cruise missile shot over the fence for a two run homer. SHS starter Nick Manis surrender one run in the third for a 2-1 Seymour lead. The fourth inning went south for Manis (2-1) and the team as six walks and an error led to a six-run inning for Gibbs. Todd Sanzo closed the fourth and went the rest of the way giving up two runs on two hits in the sixth. SHS attempted to rally back by taking advantage of Gibbs’ miscues as Andy Trentham reached on an error and Matt Pryor was plunked for a free ride to first. Gossett advanced the runners with a sacrifice setting up Manis for an RBI single. Pryor scored on a passed ball to close to 7-4 in the fifth. Cocke County 5, Seymour 3 The Eagles and the Cocks let their starting pitchers duel it out in a non-district contest Friday night in Cocke County. SHS Sanzo and CCHS Mogers went for complete games, but Mogers made a six inning bid for a no-hitter to pick up the win. Riding the bats of Miller (4 rbi’s on two doubles) and Ramsey (3-3, 1 RBI) Cocke County built a two run lead in the first frame and struck for two more in the fourth. Going into the top of the seventh SHS trailed 5-0 before turning their caps around to mount the rally. Zack Smith connected on his seventh double of the season to break up the no-hitter. McNulty hit into a fielder’s choice for an RBI setting up Chad Isbill’s two run shot for the parking lot over the right field fence. Aaron Lambert and Brad Sonner singled to give SHS the go-ahead run at the plate with two outs. Trentham connected but CCHS shortstop Hogan made the grab in the hole to force the play at third to retire the side, ending the Eagle rally.