Tattnall sweeps Strong Rock at home with explosive offense to advance to semifinals

Tattnall took a two-game series win after putting up a 9-2 and a 9-6 victory over Strong Rock on Friday.  The Trojan charge was led by a barrage of hits and pinpoint control on the mound across both games. 

The first game was a battle between the lefties, with Tattnall’s Wyatt Still and Strong Rock’s Brooks Bibby getting the nod. 

This was Still’s first game back pitching in two weeks after an ankle injury that occurred at practice, according to Tattnall head coach Jordan Brooks.

Even with the two week hiatus, Still looked solid out of the gate, allowing no hits and striking out two in the first. 

Bibby pitched well in the first, only allowing a single to Tattnall’s Marquez Wilson and picking up two strikeouts as well. 

It looked like a classic pitcher’s duel until Tattnall’s bats started to heat up in the third. 

A collection of singles by sophomore Chandler Cook and Wilson put runners on the corners. 

The Trojans then scored the first run of the game with Braxton Collins hitting a single to the Strong Rock shortstop for an RBI single in the third inning.

Bibby loaded the bases and walked in a run to make the score 2-0 for the Trojans. 

Tattnall sophomore Griffey Gorman ripped a line drive to center field and collected 2 RBIs as he touched first, making the score 4-0 Trojans. 

Anson Talcott, a Tattnall senior, snagged the last run in the inning after scoring off a wild pitch from Bibby making it 5-0 Trojans at the end of the third inning. 

Strong Rock started the fourth inning by collecting a couple singles putting a runner in scoring position.

Brody Spann then ripped a line drive single into left field, collecting an RBI and giving the Patriots their first run of the game.

In the bottom of the fourth, Bibby loaded the bases once again. Still proceeded to hit a double into left field and collected two RBIs making the score 7-1 Trojans. 

With runners on third and second, Trojan junior Braxton Collins scored on a passed ball making the score 8-1 with a runner still on third. 

Trojan senior Tristan Turner scored the last run of the inning with a sacrifice RBI on a groundout to the Patriots’ first baseman making the score 9-1 Trojans. Strong Rock began the fifth with more hits and an RBI single by senior Blake Burghardt to make the score 9-2 Trojans. 

The first game ended with a score of 9-2 Trojans with Still gathering 11 strikeouts  six innings with Kaiden Harvey shutting down the Patriots in the seventh. 

The second game was a different story. 

Burghardt got the start for the second game going against Trojan senior right handed pitcher Tucker Brown.

Burghardt allowed two base runners with Turner grabbing a sacrifice RBI to give the Trojans an early 1-0 lead in the first. 

Talcott reached first on the next at bat by error bringing in another run making the score 2-0 Trojans. Strong Rock answered back quickly with Patriot senior Andrew Reid hitting a double to put himself into scoring position. Reid advanced to third after an infield hit and then scored on a botched pick-off attempt making the score 2-1 Trojans. 

The Trojans answered back by loading the bases in the top of the second. Still grabbed an RBI while also reaching first on an error, with Turner also grabbing an RBI single, the Trojans made it a 4-1 ballgame. 

Brown started to get wild on the mound and allowed the Patriots to load the bases. Reid then tattooed a ball into left field and grabbed a two RBI double to shorten the Trojan lead to just one with a score of 4-3. 

With runners on second and third, Burghardt singled into center field and took the lead with another two RBI double from the Patriots making it a 5-4 ballgame. 

Turner then took the lead back from the Patriots with a two run homer into right field. The roar of the crowd could be heard from the parking lot. 

The Patriots retaliated by stringing along a couple of back to back singles with Sophomore Bennett Marrow tying the game with an RBI single. 

The Trojans loaded the bases in the sixth and collected three runs off of a walk-in run and RBIs from Gorman and Cody Colter. 

The Trojans ended the game with a 9-6 win.

Tattnall head coach, Jordan Brooks, loved every bit of what he saw in Friday’s wins. 

“When we play to our identity, we’re hard to beat,” Brooks said. 

It’s especially easier to win games with the pitching performance by both Still and Brown according to Brooks. 

“Our team feels really good when those two guys toe the mound,” Brooks said. 

The Trojans look to bring this energy with them as they continue their playoff run.