Tennessee High Shows True Character, Rallies Past Science Hill

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Tennessee High Vikings baseball coach Gill Payne gathered his team together midway through Tuesday night’s game against the Science Hill Hilltoppers and issued a challenge.

Payne said that baseball doesn’t build character – it reveals character. And the Vikings’ coach wanted to see what his team was truly made of.

So Tennessee High opened its chest and showed Payne the basics of its composition: heart, blood and bone. And then the Vikings showed the Hilltoppers – and the rest of the doubters who follow the Big Nine Conference – they were for real.

Tennessee High downed Science Hill, 9-6, on a cold, rainy spring night at Cardinal Park. In doing so, the Vikings rallied from a 6-4 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the game new life.

Tennessee High then scored five unanswered runs to win its 12th consecutive contest and sixth straight in the Big Nine.

“It’s awesome,” Payne said. “My kids have just battled.”

Vikings (16-6, 6-4 Big Nine) starter Jon Krebs drove in Scott Osborne for the winning run after being hit by a pitch in the top of the eighth with two outs. Stephen Mullins followed with a sharp line-drive single to right field, making it 9-6 Tennessee High.

Mullins finished the game 2 for 4 with three RBIs, while Dylan Crockett was 2 for 4 with two RBIs for the Vikings.

Chase Cunningham picked up the victory for Tennessee High, throwing one and one-third strong innings of scoreless ball and striking out three.

“This win says a lot about us,” Cunningham said. “We play as a team and we never get down.”

The Vikings had opportunities to do so, though.

Four Tennessee High pitchers combined to issue nine walks. And the Vikings nearly gave the game away in the fifth inning, as Tennessee High gave up three runs to Science Hill (17-9, 10-2) in an ugly last half of the frame. The Hilltoppers sent nine batters to the plate, while the Vikings issued four walks and two wild pitches.

But then Payne challenged his team. And the Vikings stood up and responded.

Payne said that he told Tennessee High it had come too far this season to turn back. He reminded the Vikings that people still doubted them, and that the only way they could legitimize themselves was to come from behind in a tough situation and beat a team like Science Hill on its home field.

Tennessee High did just that.

“I don’t get to do this enough,” said Payne, who stated that the Vikings had previously never defeated Science Hill since he took over as Tennessee High’s coach two years ago.

The Hilltoppers committed three errors in a contest slowed down and hindered by rain, while reliever Nathaniel Patterson took the loss. Ben McKinney led Science Hill with a 2-for-4 outing and an RBI.

“Give Tennessee High all the credit,” Science Hill coach Ryan Edwards said. “They battled.”

The Vikings jumped out to a 2-0 lead. A single by Cody Snyder and a double by Krebs gave the Vikings runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the first. Mullins then hit a comebacker that eluded the grasp of Hilltoppers starter Caleb Mancuso. The wet ball ended up in the hands of Science Hill’s third baseman, who threw low to first, and Tennessee High scored two runs on the error.

Science Hill answered with a run in the bottom of the inning off a hard double down the third-base line by McKinney.

But an RBI single by Tennessee High’s Storm Ketron made it 3-1Vikings in the top of the second.

And Tennessee High was about to reveal its true character.

Tennessee High 210 100 23—9 9 1
Science Hill 101 130 00—6 7 3
Krebs, Payne (4), Carter (5), Cunningham (7) and Snyder. Mancuso, Patterson (6) and King (8) and Reed. WP—Cunningham. LP—Patterson.

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