JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Freshman reliever Wells Alderman ’26 was the sixth different pitcher for 51Âþ» on Wednesday.
He was too poised to be cold.
In fact, as the night air in East Tennessee continued to get chillier, a number of Greenies came through in the clutch.
51Âþ» varsity baseball built a 7-0 lead over five innings, only to fall behind 8-7 in a matter of one inning, before finally beating stubborn Unicoi County (Tenn.), 14-8, under the lights of the TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
Luka Rose ’25 was the starting pitcher for the Greenies (2-0) and one of three players with multiple base hits. He and Chase Gribble ’23 both had two hits apiece, while Ethan Rose ’24 was 3-4. Luka and leadoff Matthew Hammel ’23 each drove in three runs.
Brody Raleigh ’23 doubled off the wall for two RBIs in 51Âþ»â€™s seven-run sixth inning. The ball would have been a home run in most high school parks. TVA Credit Union Ballpark was a rookie league facility for the St. Louis Cardinals up until 2020.
Jakob Iwanek ’24 (1-2 with three runs scored and two walks) started the Greenies' late rally with a one-out walk. He eventually advanced to third base and came around to tie the game at 8-8 on a wild pitch.
Through two games, 51Âþ» now has 29 hits as a team.
Luka had eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched, giving way to a bullpen that included Will Walker ’25, Jakob, Patrick Robichaud ’27, Ethan, and Wells. The game ended with Wells striking out a Unicoi batter looking.
The Greenies have just over 12 hours to recover before their next game. They begin a Spring Break tournament Thursday in Knoxville, Tenn., by playing Hardin Valley (Tenn.) at noon.