Murfreesboro Post
MURFREESBORO WEATHER

Riverdale baseball takes region baseball title




Riverdale’s Brantley Bamberg is greeted at home plate after hitting a two-run home run in the Warriors’ 3-1 win over host Stewarts Creek in the Region 4-4A regional finals Wednesday. AUSTIN LANKFORDAustin Lankford

Riverdale’s Brantley Bamberg is greeted at home plate after hitting a two-run home run in the Warriors’ 3-1 win over host Stewarts Creek in the Region 4-4A regional finals Wednesday. AUSTIN LANKFORDAustin Lankford

SMYRNA — Outstanding pitching and defense by both teams made for a most competitive Region 4-4A baseball championship finals Wednesday night between host Stewarts Creek and Riverdale.

However, Riverdale was a bit more efficient as it won its first regional title since 2019 and seventh in school history with a 3-1 victory over the Red Hawks.

Riverdale will stay home at Jones Field to face Walker Valley on Friday in a sectional game and the right to advance to Spring Fling.

“Baseball is a game that you play with confidence, and when your defense is confident, your pitcher is confident and can relax,” Riverdale coach Barry Messer said. “Wednesday has nothing on Friday. It was big to win and get a home game, but it means nothing if we don’t win Friday.”

Stewarts Creek will head to Bradley Central for its sectional game.

“It is our fifth time making the trip to Chattanooga,” Stewarts Creek coach Mike Bartlett said. “We are going to throw (Caleb) Peterson and see if we can hit a few balls here and there and get back to Murfreesboro.”

Riverdale pitcher Grayson King delivers a pitch to the plate against Stewarts Creek. AUSTIN LANKFORDAustin Lankford

Riverdale pitcher Grayson King delivers a pitch to the plate against Stewarts Creek. AUSTIN LANKFORDAustin Lankford

Red Hawk starter Zachary Lawson made some early mistakes. He walked the lead-off batter in the opening inning on four pitches, and Brantley Bamberg stepped up and staked the Warriors to a 2-0 lead with his ninth home run of the season over the left-field fence.

Reggie Cooper came right back and led off the second inning with a solo shot for Stewarts Creek, cutting the deficit in half, but that is all the Red Hawks would get on this night.

Riverdale starter Grayson King was in total command, getting 20 of the 21 outs on 117 pitches.

The defense was outstanding for both teams. Stewarts Creek turned a double play from Cooper Newsom to Keenan Saiyasak to Bryce Jackson that scored the third Riverdale run when Jaxon Pridgen came across the plate.

The left side of the Warrior infield, Jordan and Jaxon Pridgen, cleaned all the ground balls up. There were eight groundouts in the ball game. In the fifth, Jordan was hit three ground balls that he threw to Pippin to retire the batters in order.

Riverdale’s Brantley Bamberg connects for a two-run home against Stewarts Creek. AUSTIN LANKFORDAustin Lankford

Riverdale’s Brantley Bamberg connects for a two-run home against Stewarts Creek. AUSTIN LANKFORDAustin Lankford

“The defense played great. I know I can throw anything, and if I miss my spot, they will be there to field it and make the play,” King said.

Lawson went six innings and was the tough-luck loser, walking three, striking out six and giving up three runs on three hits.

King struck out five, walked three and gave up the solo run on three hits in running his record to 3-3 on the season.

Drew Henning came in and threw four pitches — all strikes as Jackson swung and missed before Riverdale did the dog pile to celebrate the region title. The four pitches earned Henning his fourth save of the 2022 season.

Eagleville continued its postseason dominance with a 9-3 home win over Moore County to advance to a home sectional game.

Stewarts Creek’s Reggie Cooper, right, is greeted at home plate by a teammate after hitting a solo home run against Riverdale. AUSTIN LANKFORDAustin Lankford

Stewarts Creek’s Reggie Cooper, right, is greeted at home plate by a teammate after hitting a solo home run against Riverdale. AUSTIN LANKFORDAustin Lankford

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