Cougars score three in eighth to down Edmonson County 6-3

ryan-johnson-2
ryan-johnson-2

After Edmonson County scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 3-3, the Cougars scored three times in the eighth inning and went on to win the 12th District game 6-3.

Noah Bullock was the winning pitcher in relief of starter Cain Smith, who pitched 6 2/3 innings and struck out 13 Wildcat batters. Bullock was perfect in his 1 1/3 innings of work and struck out two.

The Cougars jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Third-baseman Dain Hawkins led off with a single up the middle and moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt by Wildcat starter Tanner Woodcock.

Hawkins moved to third on a sacrifice by Andrew Haycraft, then scored on a fly ball to right off the bat of first-baseman Noah Brown.

The Cougars added two unearned runs in the third inning. Ryan Johnson reached on an error leading off the inning and was sacrificed to second by Bullock. Damon Simon flew out to right for the second out before catcher Briley Napier singled to left to drive in Johnson.

Smith then hit a short pop fly behind second base that was dropped by the shortstop, Gabe Lindsey. Napier came around to score on the play and Smith moved to second on the play at the plate. Hawkins reached on another error by Lindsey, putting runners at the corners, but Woodcock struck out Haycraft to end the inning.

Smith was cruising through the first five innings, allowing just four hits, but he began to tire in the sixth, when the Wildcats broke through for a run. Lindsey led off with a single to right and moved to second on a passed ball by Napier. Chaz Wilson followed with a single in the hole at short to plate Lindsey and make it 3-1.

The Wildcats then scored two runs after two were out in the seventh to tie the score and send it to extra innings. With one out, Nick Clemmons singled to right and reached second when Smith was guilty of a balk.

Smith struck out Luke Meredith for the second out, but Lindsey beat out an infield hit to put runners at the corners. Preston Dunn followed with a solid single to right to plate Clemmons and leave runners at the corners again. Wilson followed with a single to right that drove in Lindsey to tie the game at 3-3 and leave runners at first and third.

Head coach Danny Clark then replaced Smith on the mound with Bullock, who then retired Woodcock for the final out, leaving the potential wining run at third base.

A single by Simon leading off the eighth was followed by a double down the line in left by Napier that left runners at second and third for Smith, who drove in Simon with a single to left to give the Cougars the lead once more, 4-3.

Smith stole second base, before Hawkins drove in Napier with a ground out to Woodcock. Haycraft then grounded back to Woodcock for the second out, but Smith came in to score on the play to make it 6-3. Brown was hit by a pitch, but designated hitter Kyle Davis lined out to left field to end the inning.

Bullock then worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning, striking out the last two batters he faced to end the game.

The same two teams will play this afternoon at Don Lee Field, with game time set for 5:30 p.m.

By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com

You will be able to watch tonight’s game against Edmonson County below beginning at 5:15pm.