Sequoyah’s season came to an end in Wednesday’s District 5-3A play-in game, being held to two hits and losing 13-1 to No. 5 Lenoir City in five innings.
The Panthers jumped out to a four-run lead in one half-inning before adding pressure in the later frames, stunning Sequoyah in the single-game elimination round.
“After the last game, you just remind the guys coming back that it takes hard work to get a different outcome the next year and thank the seniors for everything they gave to the program,” Sequoyah coach Josh Monhollen said. “It's hard to walk off the field for the last time as a player. Very few guys get to leave on a win, so it's an emotional moment for those who weren't expecting their high school career to end today. They've poured a ton of time and energy into getting prepared for this year and they were in second place going into last week. It's tough to see it slip away so quickly.”
Lenoir City (11-20) went ahead 4-0 in the bottom of the first. The Panthers started the contest with four consecutive singles and totaled five hits and six baserunners in the early barrage.
A line drive to Luke Brackett at third base turned into a double play for the first out and Ryan Hall’s three-pitch strikeout pulled Sequoyah (11-17) out of the jam.
“Lenoir City did a great job coming prepared to hit Ryan. He threw a one-hitter against Lenoir City earlier in the year. It's tough to have to face the same team three times, but their players and their coaches deserve a lot of credit for adjusting to their approaches at the plate to successfully hit tonight,” Monhollen said.
Defensively, Sequoyah held Lenoir City to two hits and one run in the next two innings before the Panthers extended a lead to nine runs in the fourth inning and a 13-1 score after four and a half frames.
“The previous three times we faced Lenoir City, we came back from behind, so I think our team was still ready to win the game. Again, you have to credit Lenoir City with being disciplined enough to keep putting pressure on us by continuing to hit and add to their lead,” Monhollen said.
While Hall led Sequoyah with four strikeouts, Brandon Bell went all five innings for the fifth-seeded Panthers, striking out nine, walking one and allowing two hits.
Hall’s leadoff single in the fourth inning was Sequoyah’s first hit of the night. Courtesy runner Aaron Hunt scored later that frame, stealing home. Dru Sasser’s single pushed Hunt to third base.
“Brandon (Bell) is a great pitcher. We knew going into the game that this was going to be a challenge with him on the mound. He has a great curveball that he pairs with a high-velocity fastball. Hitting him is going to be tough anytime, especially when he has command of all his pitches,” Monhollen added. “We missed Josh (Britton) and Bryson (Raper) in the lineup tonight, but I think we have some younger players who are going to be fun to watch develop next year.”
Sequoyah’s seniors include Alex Blackshire, Josh Britton, Eli Cook, Skyler Kilby, Aiden Mason, Jake Massingale, Donovan Perry, Bryson Raper, Dru Sasser, Ashton Stamey and Blake Summey.
“This class has been really special to me. It pains me to see all the adversity that these guys have had to endure over the last couple years,” Monhollen said. “They have been in doctors' offices more than any group I've seen come through Sequoyah, but they keep coming back ready to get back to work and support their team in whatever way they can. It's a really talented and really hard-working group and we are going to miss them next year.”
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