Christian Academy of Knoxville pitcher Bay Griffin on Thursday, May 20, 2021, in Knoxville. CAK won 2-1 in 10 inning in Game 1. (Photo by Danny Parker)
By MIKE BLACKERBY
MURFREESBORO — Bay Griffin isn’t going to dazzle with his metrics, but Christian Academy coach Tommy Pharr wouldn’t trade his pitching ace for the world.
Griffin went the distance for the Warriors Tuesday night in a 5-1 win against Tipton-Rosemark in the Division II-A baseball semifinals at Middle Tennessee Christian School.
He gave up just four hits, no earned runs, struck out six and walked one as CAK improved to 33-8.
“Bay Griffin is not big and he doesn’t throw hard, but he’s awesome,” said Warriors coach Tommy Pharr.
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“He only throws it 79, 80 or 81 (mph), but he has got a good breaking ball, he’s smart and he knows what he’s doing. He’s, I think, 9-0 and has been our No. 1 pitcher all year. Bay Griffin is everything that is good about high school sports.”
Griffin’s only real trouble came in the sixth inning when the Rebels scored a run, but Tipton-Rosemark stranded runners at second and third.
The win vaults CAK into Wednesday’s winner’s bracket finals against Christ Presbyterian (29-14-1) at 12:30 (Central).
CAK is the three-time defending Division II-A state champion.
The Warriors managed just four hits off the Rebels (24-16), but the big blow was a two-run homer over the right-center fence by Walker Strange in the second inning that staked CAK to a 2-0 lead..
Andrew Kribbs, Luke Harms and Tyler Jenkins had the other hits for the Warriors.
Tipton-Rosemark made three costly errors.
“They helped us some and we helped them some,” said Pharr.
“It was good to win.”
Pharr said his Warriors will have their work cut out for them against CPA.
“They’re good,” he said.
“They’re physical and they just have a lot of really good athletes.”