CHARLOTTE, Tenn. – Over the weekend, the Shelbyville Central Golden Eagles (21-7, 4-2) went 2-2 over four games at the Good Day to Play Classic on the campus of Creek Wood High School, blowing out West Creek (8-10-1, 2-1), 12-1 after six innings, in the opener before taking down Dickson County (20-15, 6-0) in the final game of the Classic, 15-11 after nine innings. In between, the Golden Eagles suffered a 2-1 loss to Creek Wood (11-13, 2-4) and an 8-2 defeat in the first of two games against Dickson County, 8-1.

GAME ONE

In game one against West Creek, neither team scored until the top of the third inning when the Golden Eagles plated four runs to take a 4-0 lead. Shelbyville Central scored two in the fourth as well as three runs in both the fifth and sixth to take a commanding 12-0 lead. West Creek scored one in the sixth, but it was not enough to stave off the run-rule.

Brody Thomas got the start and pitched 4.0 innings, giving up no runs on two hits and three walks with four strikeouts on 71 pitches. Elijah Westbrooks came on in relief, pitching 1.2 innings and giving up one unearned run on two hits with two strikeouts on 20 pitches before Case Davis came in to get the final out. 

At the plate, Braxton Vari led off hitting 2-for-4 with a walk, a triple, a double, and an RBI. Blake Bone went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, Stephen Bobo was 1-for-3 with a walk, and Caden Peacock finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Davis went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk, Thomas was 1-for-2 with a walk and a HBP, and Camron Burke finished 1-for-4 with two runs scored. Miles McCullough also went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. 

GAME TWO

In the second game on Friday against Creek Wood, neither team scored until the seventh inning in a game that turned out to be a pitchers’ duel. Kaleb Maillet got the start for Shelbyville Central, lasting 4.2 innings and giving up zero runs on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts on 83 pitches. Stephen Bobo returned to the mound in relief, working through 1.1 innings with four strikeouts on 18 pitches before Blake Bone came on for the bottom of the seventh with a 1-0 lead. The Golden Eagles’ shortstop gave up two earned runs on two hits and three walks with one strikeout. 

For the Red Hawks, Case Williams got the start and pitched admirably, working through 5.2 shutout innings on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts on 70 pitches. 

At the plate for Shelbyville Central, Bone went 2-for-4 with the Golden Eagles’ lone RBI when he drove home Miles McCullough in the top of the seventh after McCullough reached on a single. Bobo finished 2-for-4, Brody Thomas was 1-for-3, Elijah Westbrooks went 2-for-3, and McCullough finished 1-for-3 with a run scored. As a team, the Golden Eagles out-hit the hosts, 8-to-5, and neither side finished with an extra-base hit.

GAME THREE

In the first game of a doubleheader against Dickson County on Saturday, the Golden Eagles committed six errors in an 8-2 defeat to the Cougars. 

Ashton Whorley got the start on the mound, lasting 3.0 innings and giving up two runs – one earned – on four hits and one walk on 50 pitches. Caden Peacock came on in relief in the fourth inning, giving up four unearned runs on three hits with one strikeout on 31 pitches before Camron Burke pitched the final 2.0 innings. Burke gave up two unearned runs on one hit and one strikeout on 28 pitches.

For the Cougars, Zeke Daniel pitched a complete 7.0 innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts on 99 pitches.

Shelbyville Central took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Stephen Bobo reached safely and was then driven home. Dickson County responded with the tying run in the bottom of the second before taking its first lead at 2-1 with another run in the bottom of the third. 

Bobo again came around to score in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 2-2, but then Dickson County’s error-aided four-run fourth inning happened, giving the Cougars a 6-2 lead that they would not relinquish. Dickson County also tacked on two more unearned insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.

At the plate for the Golden Eagles, Blake Bone went 1-for-3, Stephen Bobo was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, and Caden Peacock was 1-for-3 with an RBI-double. Case David went 0-for-2 with a sacrifice-fly, Burke was 1-for-3, and Miles McCullough finished 2-for-3 at the bottom of the lineup.

GAME FOUR

In the fourth and final game of the Classic, the Golden Eagles and Cougars tussled for nine high-flying innings before ultimately deciding a winner.
Shelbyville Central jumped out to an early 8-0 lead with two runs in the first inning followed by six runs in the second. Dickson County did commit four errors to aid Shelbyville Central’s cause, and five of the eight runs were unearned. Still, the Golden Eagles held an 8-0 lead, and after responding to Dickson County’s two-run third with three runs in the top of the fourth, Shelbyville Central took a commanding 11-2 lead. 

However, the Cougars’ bats never gave up, chipping away at the massive deficit with one run in the fourth and fifth innings, two runs in the sixth, and then a five-spot in the bottom of the seventh to knot the game up at 11 and send it to extras.

After neither side scored in the eighth, Shelbyville Central’s bats woke back up to post a four-run ninth and take home the victory.

On the mound, Braxton Vari got the start for the Golden Eagles, pitching 3.0 innings and giving up two earned runs on three hits and five walks with four strikeouts on 68 pitches. Treyden Sharp came on in relief, pitching 2.0 innings and giving up two earned runs on four hits and two walks with one strikeout on 43 pitches before making way for Cole Roddy. Roddy pitched 1.1 innings, giving up five earned runs on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts on 40 pitches. Elijah Westbrooks relieved Roddy to get the Golden Eagles out of the seventh inning, pitching the next 1.2 innings and giving up two runs – one earned – on two hits and two walks with one strikeout on 38 pitches. Finally, in the bottom of the ninth, Chase Billig came on to record the final three outs, giving up two hits while striking out one batter without giving up a run on 18 pitches.

At the plate for the Golden Eagles, Stephen Bobo led off going 3-for-5 with two RBIs, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. Westbrooks was 1-for-5 with two RBIs and two HBPs, Caden Peacock went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBIs, a walk, and Case Davis finished 3-for-6. Miles McCullough was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk, Burke finished 2-for-6 with two RBIs, and Billig went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk. Ashton Whorley was 0-for-3 with an RBI, a walk, and three runs scored, and Braxton Vari finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and two walks. As a team, Shelbyville Central finished with 15 runs on 16 hits while committing just two errors.

Shelbyville Central travels to Cookeville on Monday for the first of two District 6-AAAA games to close out the regular season with first-pitch set for 6:00 p.m.