Hawks show speed, grit in JV open
The Clinton Middle School Hawks baseball program officially opened its spring season Saturday evening at Dragon Field, where the Hawks’ junior varsity squad faced an early test with a doubleheader against Sweetwater’s JV Wildcats and the Norris JV Senators.
Saturday marked the first of four JV Play Days, and the Hawks showed flashes of identity and resilience throughout the evening.
Clinton dropped the opener 4-2 to Sweetwater before battling Norris to a hard-earned 5-5 tie in the nightcap, demonstrating the competitive edge the program hopes will define the season ahead.
Sweetwater struck early in Game 1, using timely hitting to build a lead the Hawks worked to chip away at throughout the contest. Hudson Lowe started on the mound for CMS, allowing three runs over 3⅓ innings while keeping the Wildcats within reach. Behind him, the Hawks turned in a clean defensive performance, committing no errors. Cole Sellers handled six chances in the field.
Offensively, Corbyn Miller drove in a run while Miller, Sellers and Keaton Miller each recorded hits.
The Hawks were aggressive on the bases throughout the game, stealing six, including two from Jed Deel, as Clinton consistently pressured the Wildcats’ defense.
Assistant Coach Kirk Sliger, who serves as third-base coach for the JV squad, said that approach reflects a central emphasis for the Clinton Hawks.
“We want to be aggressive on the bases but smart as well, and also play clean defense with good fundamentals and knowing your situations,” Sliger said.
The second game showcased those principles more fully.
After Norris built an early lead, the Hawks responded with a four-run second inning fueled by timely execution.
Reece Adkins delivered an RBI single down the left-field line,
Corbyn Miller added a run-scoring hit, and Brody Smith contributed an RBI groundout as CMS briefly seized momentum.
Norris answered to regain the lead in the third inning, but the Hawks again responded. Bryce Slaven battled through a six-pitch at-bat before lining a game-tying single to center field, evening the score at 5-5 and preserving the draw.
Kole Sliger started on the mound for Clinton, striking out three over two innings, while the Hawks’ defense turned a key double play to halt a Senators rally.
Reece Adkins, Corbyn Miller, Kole Sliger, Jed Deel, Bryce Slaven and Sutton McNally each collected hits as the Hawks showed balanced production throughout the lineup.
Associate head coach and JV manager Stephen McNally praised his team’s spirit following the play day.
“We have a very competitive group of boys,” McNally said. “They showed incredible resiliency yesterday against a couple of good teams. I’m proud of the way they held their composure through adversity and executed when it mattered. Most of the games through the day were a bit one-sided, whereas our games were dynamic throughout.”
Manager and varsity Head Coach Jake Lowe and the Clinton Middle staff view the JV schedule as a key extension of the program’s development, allowing younger players to gain experience while reinforcing the same expectations carried at the varsity level — aggressive play, strong fundamentals and situational awareness.
Through one play day, those traits were already beginning to take shape.
The CMS Hawks JV return to action next Saturday at Anderson County High School with games at 9 and 10:45 a.m.
