Photo: KL Farr, shown in action against Clarksville Academy, helped pitch the Trojans to victory and drove in three runs against Providence Academy. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Out of three West Region baseball teams that made the TSSAA Division II-A state playoffs second round, only Northpoint Christian has survived to play in the annual Spring Fling state tournament next week.
The Trojans defeated Providence Academy 7-3 Thursday afternoon to take the second round series in three games and punch their ticket for Murfreesboro for the third consecutive year.
West Region champion Evangelical Christian (ECS) and Tipton-Rosemark (TRA) joined Northpoint in the second round of the postseason. However, ECS was swept by Silverdale Baptist Academy in two games and Goodpasture eliminated TRA in two straight. Goodpasture and Silverdale will join Northpoint and Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK) in the state’s Final Four. The Trojans and CAK will play Tuesday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the first round of the double-elimination tournament.
Thursday, Hudson Brown and KL Farr combined for the victory on the mound for the Trojans, with Brown giving up two hits and walking three in two innings on the mound. Farr took over in the third and allowed three earned runs, eight hits, walked one and struck out three.
Rob Hayes and Conner McKnatt scored two runs each for the Trojans, while Hayes and Brown each garnered three hits. Two of Brown’s hits were doubles and Hayes added another double. Farr drove in three runs on the day.
Northpoint opened up with a three-run inning in the third, highlighted by run-scoring singles from Brown and McKnatt, and a sacrifice fly from Farr.
The Trojans added two more runs in the fifth for a 5-0 lead with RBI singles from Farr and Seth Giamportone. Providence answered with two runs in their half of the inning to get back within 5-2, but Northpoint scored two more in the seventh to put the game away.
Farr hit another RBI single and McKnatt later scored on a wild pitch. Providence scored once in the bottom of the seventh but it was not enough.
Northpoint, now 32-6-1, will now head to Murfreesboro and the state Final Four for the third straight year, looking to finally win the state championship. The Trojans have been runners-up the past two visits to the state finals.
