Greenwell dominates Avery County
Published 12:45 pm Friday, March 31, 2023
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Star Photo/Larry N. Souders
Bulldog starting pitcher Jonathan Greenwell #32 fires a strike in the top of the second inning.
Star Photo/Larry N. Souders
Bulldog catcher Chance Point #12 frames a called strike as Avery County’s Brooks Berry #3 watches the ball sail past him in the top of the first inning.
Star Photo/Larry N. Souders
Hampton second baseman Tuff Robinson #10 draws a bead on a soft infield fly ball to end the top of the first inning.
Star Photo/Larry N. Souders
Bulldog pitcher Jonathan Greenwell #32 turns on a fastball, driving it into the gap in left center field for an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning.
Star Photo/Larry N. Souders
Avery County’s Bryson Whitley #14 watches an off speed pitch sail into the glove of the Bulldogs Chance Point #12 for a called third strike, ending the top of the second inning.
Star Photo/Larry N. Souders
The Bulldogs Elisha Henson #27 greets Brody Hicks #1 and Jayden Kuhn #20 after they scored on Jonathan Greenwell #32 two RBI single in the bottom of the second inning.
Star Photo/Larry N. Souders
The Bulldogs Jonathan Greenwell #32 slides in safely with a stolen base as the ball sails past Avery County shortstop Kaleb Liner #10 in the bottom of the second inning.
Star Photo/Larry N. Souders
Hampton’s Brody Hicks #1 slaps a slow roller that somehow gets through the infield for a single in the bottom of the second inning.
Star Photo/Larry N. Souders
Bulldog first baseman Jamie Turbyfill #33 gobbles up a hot shot toward first and steps the bag for the first out of the top of the third inning.
Star Photo/Larry N. Souders
Hampton shortstop Josh Whitson #6 makes the play on a grounder headed to center and fires to first for the final out of the top of the third.
STAR CORRESPONDENT
Senior Johnathan Greenwell put on a performance reminding everyone of Shohei Otani of the Los Angeles Angels allowing one run on three hits against Avery County on Thursday evening. At the plate, Greenwell had three hits in four at bats driving in four runs as Hampton dominated the Vikings 11-1.
“I didn’t have a lot available to me pitching wise tonight, so I told him to go out and dominate and that’s what he did,” Bulldogs head coach Nicholas Perkins said. “It has been a tough early start but I hope this is the start of us getting back to playing great baseball.”
Hampton (3-5) scored a pair of runs in the last of the first frame on a single from leadoff man Chance Point who stole second and came around on an RBI ground ball from Jayden Kuhn. Greenwell followed with an RBI single to centerfield that plated Brody Hicks who had reached on an infield hit.
Greenwell struck out the side in the second inning and the ‘Dogs added four more runs in the bottom of the second. Noah Nichols opened the stanza with a double and Josh Whitson dropped down a bunt that was fielded by Avery County pitcher Brooks Berry but the Vikings first baseman had charged down the line and Whitson was safe with no throw.
Whitson was picked off first base but Point delivered an RBI infield single. Hicks also singled and one out later another Kuhn ground ball brought in a run and Greenwell delivered a two run single to make it a 6-0 contest.
In the contest Greenwell pitched five innings striking out nine and walking just two and he spoke about what he had going for him on the mound saying, “I had a decent slider coming behind my fastball. It took some pressure off scoring some early runs. Nichols had a big double and he has been putting in the work.”
The ‘Dogs got three more runs in the third on three hits as Whitson walked with one out and Point collected his third hit of the game to put Hampton runners on the corners. The Bulldogs got a run on the third of four errors the Vikings committed and Greenwell struck an opposite field triple for his fourth RBI of the contest and Hampton had a 9-0 advantage after three innings.
Nichols had his second hit of the game and this one drove in Maddux Wilson who had pinch hit for Josh Kiehn and drew a walk and the last Viking error brought home the last run of the game for the ‘Dogs.
In the top of the fifth, Greenwell tired a bit and gave up a two out single to pinch hitter Josh Jackson and issued a walk to leadoff man Riley Isaacs. Berry’s single to center brought home the only run Avery could muster as Greenwell struck out Trent Wellborn to end the game.
Point finished 3-for-4 as did Greenwell while Hicks had a 2-for-3 game and Nichols had two hits as well.
Hampton 11-1
Avery Co. 000 01 – 1 3
Hampton 243 2x – 11 11
W – Greenwell L – Berry
2B – Nichols 3B – Greenwell
