Tharptown baseball has tough week

By Staff
Slade Gilmer
For the FCT
THARPTOWN – The Tharptown baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to Tanner on Thursday afternoon at Tharptown.
The Rattlers took the first game 16-5 before winning the second game 10-4, using a big inning in each game to pull away.
In the first game, the Rattlers used a big fifth inning to blow open what had been a close game. Wade Berryman led Tharptown with two singles and two RBIs, while Brandon Cothrum added a double. Jacob Parker and Nathan Gray each singled for Tharptown.
The Rattlers used the third and fourth innings of the second game to blow open what had started as a pitcher's duel.
Leading 1-0, the Rattlers took advantage of a single, a walk, an error and two doubles to score three runs and take a 4-0 lead into the fourth.
In the top of that inning the Rattlers got four singles, an error, a walk, and a catcher's interference call to drive across five more runs and take a 9-0 lead.
Tharptown got on the board in the bottom of the fifth.
Omar Miguel and Mackinley Flannagin led off the inning with walks before Jacob Parker grounded into a forceout at second to put runners on first and third.
Miguel scored on Kelby Hallmark's RBI groundout and Berryman followed with a single. He came around to score on a two-run single by Gray to cut the Rattler lead to 9-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, Trevor Hallmark reached on an error, moved to second on Miguel's second walk and scored on a single by Kelby Hallmark. The Rattlers responded with a run in the top of the seventh to close out the scoring.
Kelby Hallmark led the way in the second game with two singles and a pair of RBIs.
Gray added a single and two RBIs, while Berryman and Justin Britnell each added a single.
Berryman took the loss in Game 2, pitching 31/3 innings and giving up seven runs – five earned – on four hits and four walks while striking out five.
Vina 14,
Tharptown 7
The Red Devil offense rolled Wednesday as three Vina players had three hits each and the team recorded 18 hits in a 14-7 win against area foe Tharptown.
Adam Pharr tripled, doubled and singled while Channing Haithcock and Cass White each hit a pair of doubles and a single.
Four other players had two hits each, led by Brent Townsend who hit a home run and a single while Clay Pierce, Patrick White and Judd Childers all hit a pair of singles. Morgan McCarley hit a double to round out the hitting for Vina.
Adam Pharr pitched three innings before Sammy Pardue entered to throw four innings of relief.
Brandon Cothrum led the Wildcats with a triple, double and single while Kelby Hallmark singled twice.
Parker, Wade Berryman, Devin Lawson and Nathan Gray all singled for Tharptown.
Vina 7,
Tharptown 3
Haithcock led the Red Devil offense with a home run and a single while Cass White had a double and a single.
Townsend, McCarley, Matthew Hester and Patrick White each singled for the Red Devils.
Townsend pitched a complete game to earn the win.
Jacob Parker, Kelby Hallmark, Trevor Hallmark and Gray all singled for the Wildcats.