Hawks soar under new coach in Opening Day win
Armwood senior Tyler Corns scattered three Steinbrenner hits and struck out eight in six shutout innings to pick up a win on Opening Night in Seffner. Photo by Lily Belcher
By Lily Belcher, Staff Writer
SEFFNER – A balk made the difference in an Opening Day pitchers’ duel for Armwood.
The Hawks (1-0) picked up the first win of the season in a 1-0 victory over Steinbrenner (0-1), setting the tone for a winning season under first year head coach Shawn Queen.
Shawn Queen picked up a win in his head coaching debut at his alma mater, Armwood.
“Amazing,” Queen said about the win. “…It’s great to come in here and start the season off with a win.”
Queen, an Armwood baseball alum, turned to ace Tyler Corns on the mound. Corns picked up eight strike outs and gave up three hits in his first win. He walked leadoff Warriors’ batter junior Nick Osborne but quickly fell into rhythm, retiring the next 14 hitters.
“It means a lot because I’ve worked hard for that spot and I know I’m proud of myself,” Corns said. “And the grind won’t stop. We’ll continue to have a great season.”
Corns also said he was looking to limit the number of pitches and walks in his Opening Day start. While he said he was hoping to go out for the seventh to close out the game, he had full faith in relief pitcher senior Matt Hall.
Steinbrenner senior Carter Stern struck out 10 in a no-decision, going five innings and allowing one hit and walking a pair. Photo by Lily Belcher
From the other dugout, another left-handed senior, Carter Stern, dominated for five innings with ten strikeouts and one base hit. He admitted he’s not the hardest thrower, but showcased the spin he can put on the ball.
“I think I did good,” Stern said after his five shut out innings. “Just tried to attack the zone to try to give my team a chance.”
Stern was relieved by junior Carson Krueger, who gave up a one-out base hit to Armwood’s Theodric Hicks. The junior promptly stole second before advancing to third on a balk. With two outs, Krueger balked again, allowing Hicks to score and putting the Hawks on the board.
Theodoric Hicks steps on home plate after a balk moved him to third, and another allowed him to score the game’s only run. Photo by Lily Belcher
Queen said he was looking for a little more offense, but Corns’ pitching and the Hawks’ defense was enough to secure the one-run win.
“I’m proud of our defense,” Queen said. “Defense really stepped up tonight and helped out pitchers come out with a win.”
He added that the hardest part of stepping into his role as head coach has been, “learning what’s going on.”
Armwood senior Tyler Corns earned the win with six scoreless innings, striking out eight
But after his first win as a head coach – he’s feeling a lot more comfortable.
Corns said Queen has focused on helping each individual player get the work they need during practice, specializing with individual work alongside hitting and fielding drills.
“I knew from the start that this was going to be a good season. He was going to be a great coach,” Corns said. “And I’m just looking forward to seeing how the rest of the season goes.”
⚾
Armwood 1, Steinbrenner 0
S 000|000|0 – |0|3|0
A 000|001|x – |1|2|0
W – Corns (1-0); L – Krueger (0-1); S – Hall (1)
Records – S (0-1); A (1-0).
