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SM blanks Asheville in season’s first game
Brandon Magruder pitched five scoreless innings Friday while Matt Hawkins completed the shutout and drove in three runs leading Smoky Mountain to a baseball season-opening 7-0 Mountain Athletic Conference win over Asheville at the SM field.
Magruder yielded two hits while striking out five and walking three.
“I was really pleased with the way we hit, and we played good defense,” Coach Ron Yount said.
Smoky Mountain’s Brandon Magruder had a strong outing on the mound Friday as the Mustangs opened their baseball season with a 7-0 win over Asheville. He limited the Cougars to two hits in five innings.
The Mustangs scored the only runs they would need in the first. Zack West walked, Clay Cantler singled and Hawkins and Grant Schallock delivered RBI singles for a 2-0 lead.
They made it 5-0 with a three-run third. Just as in the first, the inning started with West drawing a walk followed by Cantler’s single. Hawkins singled to drive in one run. Schallock singled and stole second. No one covered the base on the steal and the throw went into center field allowing two runs to score.
SM put the game away in the fourth, Coleman Corzine doubled and scored on West’s double. The game’s final run scored on an error.
“Magruder pitched a real good game for his first start,” Yount said. “He moved the ball around well and kept them off balance.”
Cantler had two hits in three at-bats, and Hawkins was two of four.
Hawkins struck out four and walked two while allowing no hits.
“We got off to a good start,” Yount said. “We hope that will continue on through the season.”
The SM JVs dropped a 3-0 decision at Asheville.
Kalin Haskett was two of four, including a triple, and Michael Freeman struck out four while yielding two runs in five innings.
The Mustangs’ best chance to score came in the first when they had runners at second and third with two out.
“I saw a lot of things we need to work on, but I think we’ll improve as the season goes along,” Coach Brad Harvell said.
Games at home against Swain on March 2 and against Pisgah at Western Carolina on March 5 were postponed and have not been rescheduled.
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