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BY DEAN FOX
MURFREESBORO — High school baseball teams don’t always have a designated closer, and three-time state champions don’t always need help from their opponents.
But those things? They can’t hurt.
A three-run first inning and clutch relief pitching were enough to lift Farragut past Independence 3-2 on Wednesday in the opening round of the Class 4A state baseball tournament at Siegel High School.
With the win, Farragut (29-11) advanced to the winners’ bracket and will face either Siegel or Rossview at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
The Admirals are pursuing their fourth straight crown, looking to match the four straight titles the program won from 2008-11. It’s the first season under coach Garrett Copeland, who took the reins of one of the state’s most decorated programs.
After the first two Independence batters reached in the bottom of the seventh, Copeland brought in senior pitcher/closer Benny Miller to close the door.
Miller struck out the first two men he faced, then induced a grounder to first baseman Travis Brummitt Jr.
When Brummitt stepped on first, the Admirals moved a little bit closer to another state title.
“Last week against Dobyns-Bennett, they brought me in when the game got tight,” Miller said. “The guys had a lot of faith in me, and we got the win.”
Farragut wasted no time asserting itself.
The Admirals strung together four hits in the top of the first and capitalized on an outfield error to plate all three of their runs.
Jackson Zeller provided the key swing of the game with a two-run single to center, and later scored when a fly ball off the bat of Zain Kureshi-Smith was misplayed in right field.
Jake Harris, Braden Humphrey, and Brummitt also had multi-hit games for the Admirals.
Independence answered with a run in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Cross Lawhun and threatened again in the sixth. The Eagles loaded the bases with one out, and Caleb King’s ground ball brought in a second run, but Farragut got out of the inning without further damage.
Admirals starter Cole Draper, a Wofford signee, worked five innings, striking out seven and allowing six hits and two runs.
Reliever Brodie Roberts navigated a jam in the sixth, thanks in large part to the nifty work of Humphrey at third base. Humphrey twice fielded hard-hit smashes and threw home for forceouts of the potential tying run, then made another nice grab to end the inning.
That set the stage for Miller.
“I had no worries when he came in,” Draper said. “None.”
Independence finished with eight hits, including two apiece from Lucas Penland and Campbell Carpenter. The Eagles committed two errors, both of which proved costly. The loss drops Independence into the elimination bracket 10 a.m. Thursday.
FARR 300 000 0 – 3 13 1
INDY 100 001 0 – 2 8 2
Draper, Roberts (6), Miller (7) and Harris; Taylor, Rosenbrock (5), Lawhun (6) and Money. W-Draper. L-Taylor. S-Miller.
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