Similar Score, Different Feeling

After our Bulldogs dropped a 11-0 decision to the Johnson County Longhorns last Thursday in Mountain City, there was a doom and gloom feeling around H-Town Baseball.  A similar score on Monday, an 11-2 loss to University High, looks similar, but feels much different.  Making his first career Varsity start on the mound, freshman RHP, Morgan Lyons pitched four quality innings, and if his pitch count would not have climbed, he would have stayed in the ball game.  Junior, Weston Street and sophomore, Josh Owens have swung hot bats to start the 2019 season, as well as sophomore, Parker Henry, who was hit for during most of his 2018 freshman campaign.  

Defensively, we were brutal on Monday at Thomas Stadium in Johnson City.  There is no other way to describe it, but we feel the miscues are plays we will make in the future.  Freshman, Caleb Royston is learning on the job at shortstop, being thrown right into the fire, and he is doing a solid job under the watchful eye of infield coach, Judd Hammons.  Weston Street slid back into the backup catcher role, a role he has held in the past, and showed an ability to hold down the position, despite an understandable rust, having not initially been in the plans for the catcher position.  Freshman, Kyler Lewis made his first career Varsity start at 2B on Monday.  Lewis did not have many routine plays to handle, but he showed why he is highly thought of in our program.    

On the JV side of things, freshman RHP, Conor Burleson pitched well in his one inning of work, showing good shape on his breaking ball and working down in the zone.  Kyler Lewis and freshman, Cameron Moss also pitched quality baseball.  Scott Lord conitnues to improve in the OF.  McKinley Kuhun continues to show that he is a legitimatley good all around baseball player.  We want to win JV games, but player development comes first.  The JV club will be back in action on Thursday at the FCA Flames.  

Hang with us.  We will right the ship.  Difficult starts to a season are always magnified.