Spring sports season is always a hit-or-miss time because the weather is so unpredictable… or maybe it is too predictable, mostly bad!
The Cougar baseball team has certainly had to deal with that this week as the first three scheduled games of the season were wiped out by a combination of rain and snow.
But on Thursday they were finally able to take to the field and play a game as the Hancock County Hornets came calling. They had originally been scheduled for the season opener last Monday, but wet conditions called for a cancellation.
The visiting Hornets proved to be rude guests as they handed the Cougars a 9-1 loss. Sophomore right-hander Dylan O’Bryan went the distance for the Hornets, allowing just a single, unearned run. He gave up just four hits, walked none and struck out four.
Senior Braxton Hodges started for the Cougars and overall pitched very well with the exception of one pitch in the opening frame.
Hodges walked leadoff hitter Tanner Singleton in the first, then gave up a ground ball single to catcher Cory Axton. That brought up senior shortstop Jacob White, who picked on the first pitch he saw from Hodges and drove it over the 350-foot sign in left-center field for a three-run home run.
Hodges settled down after that and retired the next three batters to end the inning, but the damage was done. Hodges pitched shutout ball over the next six innings, allowing just four hits over that span.
Despite the early trouble, the Cougars were still in the game. They put a pair of runners on base with just one out in the third inning, but O’Bryan retired Noah Bullock on a ground out, then got Briley Napier on a soft liner to short.
They threatened again in the fifth when they had runners at first and third with two outs before O’Bryan retired Bullock on a fly ball to right.
Grayson County finally cracked the scoring column in the sixth when Cain Smith singled with one out, moved to second on a Hodges ground out, then scored when Rylee Shoemaker’s grounder to short was thrown away by White.
Andrew Haycraft followed with an infield single putting runners at first and second, but O’Bryan struck out Nathan Fentress to end the inning.
In the seventh, head coach Danny Clark replaced Hodges on the mound with Bullock and the Hornets went to work immediately against the right-hander. Two walks, two Cougar errors and a single accounted for three Hornet runs without Bullock recording an out.
Clark replaced Bullock at that point with junior right-hander Andrew Haycraft, who was promptly greeted by a ringing double to the wall by first-baseman Lathan Lamar which drove in two more Hornet runs to make it 8-1 . Hornet right-fielder Parker Newby later drove in the final run with a single up the middle.
O’Bryan retired the first two Cougars he faced in the seventh before allowing back-to-back singles to Bullock and Napier to give the Cougars hope. But O’Bryan then induced Smith to fly out to center to end the game.
The Cougars are scheduled to participate in the Fern Creek Invitational, in Louisville, starting Friday evening against DuPont Manual, then continuing on Saturday against Larue County. Weather could be a factor, though, as snow is expected Friday evening.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
First baseman Rylee Shoemaker awaited a throw
from Cougar starter Braxton Hodges on a first-inning pickoff attempt.
Cougar catcher Briley Napier sets up to tag out Hancock
County’s Parker Newby on a relay play at the plate in the second inning.
Briley Napier was plunked on the back of his helmet
by a pitch in the first inning.
