Pioneers upset Hilltoppers

April 1 marked the perfect day for Pioneer senior left-hander Jacob Adkins to pull his biggest prank of the year.
Fresh off the team’s first conference win of the season against Volunteer on March 29, David Crockett returned to Jonesborough for a Friday meeting against the conference’s best team, Science Hill (7-6, 5-1).
On a day represented by practical jokes, Adkins stepped on the mound with tricks up his sleeve, baffling Hilltopper hitters all night on route to the conference’s biggest upset of the season in a 5-2 Pioneer win.
Adkins pitched seven strong innings, allowing just two runs on nine hits, while keeping the Science Hill batters guessing with his big hook.
Adkins was helped in the field with an inspired errorless contest. In the batter’s box, Crockett got on the board in the home half of the first, after Josh Barnett was able to advance home on a Ty Shipley grounder.
Following a scoreless second for both teams, the Hilltoppers appeared poised to take the game away from Crockett in the third after scoring two runs. But Adkins remained in control, refusing to allow another Science Hill run for the remainder of the contest. The Pioneers evened things back up after a Sam Tartlon home run in the third.
Crockett exploded in the fourth, after singles by Adkins and Barnett, Anthony Campbell stepped to the plate with two outs and two on. Campbell swung away on the first pitch, driving it deep and out of the park to give Crockett a 5-2 lead at the end of the inning.
In the top half of the seventh, Adkins walked the first batter. He quickly returned to form getting an out in the field before striking out the Toppers last two batters to solidify the win. Campbell and Barnett led the Pioneers at the plate finishing 2-for-4 and 3-for-4 respectively.
The Pioneers (4-5, 2-3) will look to build from their win with contests beginning this week against conference foes Tennessee High and Volunteer before opening play as hosts in the Coke Invitational on April 6.