NEWPORT-Cocke County High School and Sevier County High School attempted to get the 2013 TSSAA Spring Sports season off and rolling on the diamond on Monday afternoon.

Mother nature however had other ideas.

The game, which had its start time moved up an hour to avoid the forecasted rain, was halted with one out in the bottom half of the third inning, with Sevier County leading Cocke County by a 3-2 score.

The game, according to District 2-AAA rules, must be restarted and played in its entirety.

The two teams will meet in today’s regularly scheduled affair at Sevier County in a scheduled 5 p.m. first pitch. As of press time, there is no current decision on the status of Monday’s postponed affair.

Both teams battled a handful of miscues and rain drops in the three innings of play on Monday.

Cocke County struck first with a pair of first inning runs on a two-out RBI base hit by senior center fielder Mace Coakley. Coakley’s base hit scored Hunter Suggs cleanly and then scored Dagan Peak on a fielding error by a Sevier County outfielder to give CCHS an early 2-0 lead.

Coakley advanced to third base on the error.

However, the Fighting Cocks gave the Smoky Bears the runs right back a half inning later.
Sevier County got its two leadoff hitters on base in the frame via a single and a walk. Both runners came in to score on an error by Fighting Cocks second baseman Hunter Suggs.

The second error of the inning allowed the third run of the inning. Following a two-out walk, an errant throw back to the mound allowed the Bears to add its third run to take a 3-2 lead. The frame was the second that the Bears had gotten its first two hitters to reach base, however in the first inning Cocke County’s Suggs and Peak turned an inning ending double play to keep Sevier County off the board.

Cocke County went quietly, aside from a Jake Clevenger single in the bottom half of the second inning.

Southpaw Jordan Allen worked a perfect third inning, before the game was stopped after one out in the bottom half of the frame.

The game was the fourth postponement involving local teams on Monday.

Cocke County’s Lady Red season opener hosting Pigeon Forge was scratched due to the rains. No makeup date has been set for the game.

Cosby High School’s baseball team’s opener at Region 1-A foe North Greene was also postponed.

That game has been rescheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. The Lady Eagles softball team’s opener at West Greene was also postponed.

Tuesday’s spring sports schedule also includes the Lady Red visiting South Doyle in the District 2-AAA opener for the team, while Cosby’s baseball team visits Midway and the Eagles soccer squad visits Greeneville.