2007 Nov-09
Blue Knights seeing red
By Larry Sullivan
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Despite their relative newness to the tournament-level baseball diamond, the local-based Mooresville Blue Knights 12-and-under United States Specialty Sports Association team is leaving its opponents, for the most part, seeing red.
In just their second tournament appearance of their short existence, the Knights stormed their way through the field on the final day of play to capture the most competitive Gold Division medalist honors during the course of play in earlier this month’s USSSA Lake Norman Challenge.
Engaging in play on the Huntersville Athletic Park facility for two full days of action, the Blue Knights battled their way back from a two-run deficit in their final at-bat of the affair’s championship tilt and pieced together a clutch three-run rally that capped their comeback.
“It was great,’’ assured Vic Garrett, the rookie-year Knights’ head coach. “We came in, down by two runs, with just one at-bat left. But the kids never got down. I think we coaches might have thought we were beat, but the kids never did. They really came through. It was a great performance for a team that really hasn’t had much experience at this level.”
The Blue Knights, comprised almost entirely of local talent pooled from recreational level squads, split outcomes in the opening day of play to be saddled with the fourth seed among teams listed in the upper crust Gold Division. On the first day of play, the Knights defeated the North Carolina Vipers but were defeated by Stewards of the Game.
Still, it accounted for the first such lofty status for the team, which not only engaged in Silver Division play in its first outing late in October but also showed its potential by emerging as that class champion during play in the Rally For Life tournament held in Gastonia.
“When we won the Silver Division title in Gastonia,’’ recalled Garrett, “it showed us that we have the potential and ability to be a good team. I had no idea we would improve so fast, though.”
Once reaching the single-elimination phase of play in the Gold Division in the Lake Norman Challenge, the Knights continued to perform beyond expectations. They knocked off both the higher-seeded Copperheads and number-one seeded Union Athletics in succession to reach the title contest.
There, facing off against a group of North Carolina Vipers they had earlier defeated in pool play, the Blue Knights conjured up the comeback rally to pick up the organization’s first upper-level tournament title and second straight overall trophy.
Down by two runs entering the sixth, the Knights used back-to-back base hits from Christian Nino and Troy Garrett to put the potential tying runners on base. Tim Powell then clubbed a triple that did, indeed, drive both runs home. Powell then paraded home with the running tally on Dale Miller’s sacrifice fly.
“It was really something to watch,’’ assured coach Garrett.
In the tournament, the Gold Division champions were led on the pitching mound by the efforts of Powell along with Devon Bagwell, Austin Sherrill, Jared Syverson and Tommy Bullock.
In the hitting and defensive department, the play of Powell as well as Garrett, Nolan Watts, Nino, Miller and Adam Wilhite all proved pivotal in leading the crew to the championship podium.
Additional play this late fall will be hit-and-miss for the Blue Knights, who are already making plans regarding their tournament schedule for the coming year.
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