Babe Ruth pulls lid off new year

By Ivan Sanders
STAR CORRESPONDENT
isanders@starhq.com

   With Little League and high school baseball going full blast, it's hard to believe there's another league that just kicked off a new season. The Carter County/Elizabethton Babe Ruth league opened their season last Saturday.
   Following is a brief summary of games played through Thursday May 16th.
   Papa Johns D-Backs.................7
   Tetrick's Yankees....................3
   Jonathan Crowley, Ricky Garrison and Nick McNeal combined to throw a no-hitter at the Yankees in the opening game of the season.
   Corey Nave and Garrison led the D-Backs at the plate garnering two hits each. Kevin Jessee and Michael Hodge added a base knock each.
   Dustin Morton, Jordy Harrison, and Michael Shields scored the runs for Tetrick's without the benefit of a hit.
   PIC Indians............................6
   Moose Orioles........................7
   In a marathon game, the Orioles pulled off the win in 9 innings. Jared Thomas picked up the win on the hill pitching the final two innings for the Moose. Shannon Buchannon was handed the loss.
   Thomas helped his own cause by banging out four hits on the night. Andrew Church notched two hits while Eric Cole, Brandon Barnett, Tim Franklin and John Morrow contributed with one hit each.
   Robert Davenport, Buchannon and Terry Campbell each collected a hit in the losing cause for the Indians.
   Elks Braves...........................11
   Citizens Bank Cardinals......... 3
   The Braves were on the warpath as they collected eight hits and 11 runs in the five inning affair.
   Ryan Kennedy, Coty Mann and Tyler Andes collected two hits each for the winners. Kevin Covarrubias picked up the only hit of the contest for the Cardinals.
   Mann nabbed the victory on the mound while Adam Grindstaff was tagged with the loss.
   Andrew Kennedy and Austin Guinn each contributed a hit in a winning cause for the Elks.
   Citizens Bank......................10
   Tetrick's............................. 2
   In a make up game due to a rainout, the Bank handled Tetrick's with relative ease in picking up the win.
   Cody Eggers pitched the complete game win while Dustin Morton absorbed the loss.
   Adam Grindstaff went a perfect 3 for 3 from the dish for the Bank with teammates Eggers and Jared Oliver rounding out the evening going 2 for 2.
   Kevin Covarrubias and Curt Kemp pitched in with a hit each for the winners. Michael Shields collected two hits to pace Tetrick's with Chris Wagner, Justin Conner, and Hernandez each adding a solo hit.
   Citizens Bank.....................7
   Moose................................4
   Travis Bowers picked up the win in three innings of work from the hill and collected a hit to aid his cause. Adam Grindstaff continued with a hot bat going 3 for 3 for the second game in a row.
   Justin Conway and Josh Thomas contributed a hit to the Bank's hit parade. Eric Cole was the hard luck losing pitcher for the Moose.
   Jake Thomas led the Moose at the plate with a two hit performance with Andrew Church, Zach Stipe, Jared Thomas, and Cole chipping in with one hit apiece.
   Lewis Racing Dodgers............ 1
   Papa Johns D-Backs..............15
   The Dodgers hit the field for their first game of the season and were soundly defeated by the D-Backs in the rained-out, make up game.
   Nick McNeil picked up the win off the mound while Josh Lewis was penciled in with the loss.
   Ricky Garrison had a perfect night from the plate going 3 for 3 while McNeil, Michael Hodge, Jesse White and Josh Hardin contributed with one hit for the D-Backs.
   Gene Sanchez picked up the lone hit for the Dodgers and scored their only run of the evening on a groundout by Lewis.