The Stone Memorial Panthers have the train rolling down the track in the right direction. SMHS opened the 2023 baseball season with four straight wins, and after back-to-back losses to Upperman, the defending state champions, the Panthers have won three consecutive games.
The SMHS comeback opened last week with an easy rout of Monterey, and followed with a two-game sweep of Jackson County, including Tuesday’s 8-3 decision of the Blue Devils in Crossville.
“We’re pitching good, we’re playing good defense, we’re manufacturing runs at the plate, everything is going well,” said Stone Memorial coach Trent Stokes. “We’re getting some guys stepping up. Nolan Wyatt is playing well, Killian Diem is really stepping up. Wade Wilson has turned it on in the last few weeks.
“It is going to take those guys to find their role, and their game for us to do what we want to do for the rest of the year. That’s coming together for us, I think we’re at 7-2 now. We’re where we want to be at this point of the season.”
After holding Jackson County scoreless in the top of the first inning, Stone Memorial came out swinging in its half of the inning. Wilson and Collin Tiegs had good at-bats, and Nick Osmun cleared the bases with a double. He later came around to score and the Panthers tacked on two more tallies to make it 5-0 heading into the second.
The Panthers scored again in the third and the fourth innings and held a 7-0 advantage going into the fifth inning.
“We came out and we had a mission we wanted do today, and we put up five runs in the first,” Stokes said. “I would have liked to have seen that through the rest of the game, but it is tough when you’re facing these pitchers you haven’t seen before, and the velocity is down a little bit.
“We’re just following the program. We want to throw strikes and play good defense. That’s going to keep you in the games, and then the offense is going to come along and take care of the rest. We didn’t do as much small-balling as I would have liked. But that (scoring five runs in the first) that is the way to set the tone, get the game out on the right foot and take control, and you roll on from there.”
Stokes got a great performance on the mound Tuesday. Titus Bisbee got the start, and he was relieved by Rayce Boston, Nick Osmun and David Gulp.
“The pitching is going great,” Stokes said. “Titus is somebody we can roll out there on the mound, and we know he is going to keep us in the game because he throws strikes. He’s crafty, he hits his spots, and he keeps the hitters off balance. They never get a feel for him. They’re going to get some hits, but he’s going to get ground balls and we’re going to clean it up on the defensive end. When we roll Titus out, we know we’re in good hands.”
Stone Memorial will put its winning streak on the line March 31 when the Panthers visit Sequatchie County. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m.