By Thomas Sellers Jr.
BARTLETT — The Tipton-Rosemark Academy Rebels improved to 3-1 in the first week of the 2019 season. Friday concluded the Rebels’ participation in the Lewis Harris Tournament with TRA going out in style with a 5-2 win over the Pope John Paul II Knights on Elrod Field. Rebels Head Coach Brad Smith said the first week of action has not only been beneficial for his team in the win’s column. “Learning some things about the kids, we’re learning to compete,” Smith said. “Playing OK baseball and we’re playing good competition. Mainly, we’re able to get out here and see some things. We have some things we need to work on — which is everything. Things we need to get better at. “But just being able to get out here and play because the guys have been working very hard at non-baseball stuff whether it be the weight room, the Murfreesboro Challenge or pitching workouts,” he added. “To be able to go out here and showcase their abilities is what I am most happy about for these kids.” Against PJP, Smith employed sophomore aces “Saint” Patrick Green and Zach Seward to challenge the Knight’s lineup. The duo limited PJP to two runs with Green taking the mound for the start. Smith noted Green had a good bounce back performance from his previous venture Opening Day. Green and the Rebels got run support with a three-run fourth inning. “We had a big two-out hit,” Smith recalled. “Tucker James came through with a big double in the fourth inning. That was big for us. We pitched well with two sophomores, Patrick and Seward. They hit the zone with three pitches and really kept them off balance. No big barrels, they pitched to weak contact in which we preach.” TRA was ahead 4-2 in the sixth inning when Jacob Dodson drove in teammate Ethan Petrowski with a sacrifice fly. Petrowski was on the base paths because he was the courtesy runner for Seward. Seward reached base with a leadoff single. “Being as inexperienced as we are in some areas, we’ve got some seniority but we’re still kind of inexperienced in some spots like in the dugout,” Smith said. “Just being able to beat somebody which has the reputation of being a solid program.
“Coach (Chris) Parker does a great job with Pope John Paul,” he concluded. “I really, really respect him and how he goes about his business of coaching the game of baseball. He gets his kids prepared. Playing against somebody who has a hat on that means something is great.”
