After a season in which they lost 22 games, the Cougars are playing some of their best baseball in the postseason. On Wednesday, they won the championship of the 12th District Tournament with an 11-1, run-rule win over Whitesville Trinity in six innings at Don Lee Field.
Sophomore Cain Smith pitched the Cougars to the win, allowing just four hits in his six innings of work. He also did major damage at the plate, driving in three runs with a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly. Catcher Briley Napier had three hits on the day and drove in three.
The Cougars went in front with a single run in the second inning, then scored twice more in the third on Smith’s sacrifice fly and a run-scoring double by Andrew Haycraft. They added three more runs in the third inning to lead 6-0. Napier and Smith both had RBI hits in the inning.
Grayson County made it 9-0 in the fifth inning with Braxton Hodges and Damon Simon each driving in a run.
The Raiders scored their only run in the top of the sixth inning. Smith plunked leadoff hitter Zack McDowell with a pitch and he came around to score on Zack Hardesty’s double to the wall in right-center. Smith then retired the next three batters to end the inning.
The Cougars put an end to things with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Rylee Shoemaker was hit by a pitch leading off and moved to second on a single by Nate Fentress.
Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch and Noah Bullock drove in Shoemaker with a ground out to make it 10-1. Napier then put an end to things with a scalding shot just over the bag at third to plate Fentress with the deciding run.
After the game, Smith, Bullock, Hodges and Napier were all named to the 12th District All-Tournament Team.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
Cain Smith pitched and hit the Cougars to the 11-1 win.
Briley Napier had three hits on the day and drove in three runs,
including the deciding run in the sixth inning.
