Mad Mavericks silence Fury Performance’s bats

By Brian DeGruchy

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – The Nashville Mad Mavericks of Spring Hill, Tennessee defeated the Fury Performance from Woodstock, Georgia, 4-1, Sunday to collect their first pool play win at the 14U Big South Regional Championships at Jim Warren Park. The score might not indicate it, but Mad Mavericks’ pitchers John Dippold and Ingram Hitt threw a combined no-hitter during the game. 

“We were throwing strikes early in the game; John Dippold did an awesome job of locating his fastball well and changing speeds well,” said head coach Bobby Morgan. “The defense played well and had no errors on the field.

“Ingram came in to finish off the game; he got into a little bit of trouble, but we got out of it. On the offensive side one big inning leads to four runs with back to back to back hits. It was a good overall victory.”

The Mad Mavericks’ big inning came in the fourth, getting started on a triple by Bryson Hammons, who came into score on Gunner Haskins’ sacrifice fly to left. Grant Morgan hit a single through the right side and the next batter, Nic Raum, hit a single up the middle to put runners on first and second. 

John Cannella then walked to give a bases-loaded opportunity to Brady Pemberton, who did not miss. Pemberton hit a two-RBI double to left to give the Mad Mavericks a 3-0 lead. The other run scored on a ground ball to short by Hitt for a 4-0 cushion.

Despite no hits as a team, the Furys managed a run in the fifth inning after David Neubert was hit by a pitch. Tyler Stevenson ran the bases for Neubert and scored on a RBI groundout by Brenden O’Sullivan. 

Dippold received the win after five innings of work. He struck out six, but said the team’s no-hitter was special because he relied on his defense.

“It felt good to throw a no-hitter without having my best stuff on the mound today,” Dippold said. “When the Fury put the ball in play my defense made the plays, and they played great all around today with no errors.”  

Hitt closed out the final two innings of the game with two Ks and also credited the defense working behind him

“I didn’t have my best stuff as well, but the defense played great behind us,” Hitt said.

Pemberton’s double in the fourth inning was his only hit, but proved to be half of the Mad Mavericks’ run support.

“I was in a 3-2 count, and he gave me a low inside fastball. I turned on it and sent it to left field down the line. It was big, because it put us up 3-0 at the time then the next kid (Ingram Hitt) hit a ground ball to short, which was big for the game,” Pemberton said.