Pigeon Forge coach Mike Guinn discusses a few things with an umpire during the 2022 Class 2A Baseball Championship in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Saturday, May 28, 2022. (Photo by Charles Mays Media).
BY J.D. Vaughn
MURFREESBORO — Dylan Loy wasn’t ready to think about his senior year just yet.
The TBCA Mr. Baseball finalist and University of Tennessee commit will have one more chance at a state championship. But one of his top role models — 2022 Mr. Baseball winner Riley Franklin — won’t.
Two big innings ultimately separated Pigeon Forge from its first state title since 2013, as Watertown prevailed 10-3 in Saturday’s TSSAA Class 2A state championship at Blackman.
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The Tigers posted a 39-4 overall mark and earned their second consecutive state runner-up finish, after also finishing second in 2005.
Franklin, who recorded one of Pigeon Forge’s five hits, struck out seven in his final mound appearance before heading to East Tennessee State.
“Just to see someone come out and compete like (Franklin) does, it makes me want to go out and compete just like him,” Loy said. “Really hard to see it end like this.”
Pitching in his third state tournament, Franklin went five innings and walked six, allowing six earned runs on eight hits.
“Riley has been great for our program, super pitcher, super hitter, great leader,” Pigeon Forge coach Mike Guinn said. “I don’t judge him by what happened today.”
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Pigeon Forge left 13 runners on base and struck out 12 times. But the Tigers still got four hits against Watertown’s Jackson State commit Steven Whitlock, who struck out eight and walked four over 3.1 innings.
Franklin’s base hit came in the top of the third to help Pigeon Forge load the bases with one out. But the Tigers managed only one run, coming when Loy scored on a two-out wild pitch and cut Watertown’s lead to 2-1. Kendal Bayse began Watertown’s four-run third with a double to center, which drove in two.
He then scored himself on a sacrifice fly before a two-out error allowed another run to plate for a 6-1 deficit.
Tyson McFall’s single helped the Tigers load the bases again in the fourth. Kaden Stinnett scored on another wild pitch, and Kevin Fernandez drew a bases-loaded walk to make it a 6-3 game. But once more, Pigeon Forge left the bases loaded after that.
“We didn’t have our best game, but (Watertown) had everything to do with it,” Guinn said. “They played a great game, real deserving state champion right there.”
Bryce Effler and Loy both singled for Pigeon Forge. McFall pitched the sixth inning after Franklin had thrown 107 pitches.
PURPLE REIGN
After two scoreless frames, the Purple Tigers added four insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Kaden Seay and Kaiden West each hit a line-drive RBI double, and Mason Murrell singled in another run.
Holt Hensley’s one-out single gave Pigeon Forge a glimmer of hope, but Charles Mitchell retired two of the next three batters to earn the win. Mitchell struck out four and walked three in the last 3.2 innings, giving up only one hit.
“We knew it was going to be a challenge,” Watertown coach Mark Purvis said. “Our whole deal was to try and limit strikeouts, put pressure on them … we had heartbreak here last year, lost two walk-off games. I told our guys this morning we were going to turn that disappointment a full 180 and end it different.”
With a 29-9 record, Watertown claimed the school’s first team state championship in any sport.
Lance Fripp, Whitlock, Murrell and Bayse had two hits apiece for Watertown.
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