The Switzerland County varsity baseball team has been trying to avoid the rain — and the snow — as it hits the middle part of its season.
The team fell in close games to South Ripley and Milan, and then picked up a big win over Shawe Memorial during the past week:
— On Monday, April 9th, Switzerland County fell to South Ripley by a score of 7-5. The teams were tied at 1-1 through the first three innings, but the Raider came back with two runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth before the Pacers rallied in the bottom of the seventh, but the four runs that Switzerland County scored in their last at bat wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.
At the plate, Switzerland County managed just four hits, but Kyle Whitham picked up two of those, while also scoring a run and recording an RBI. Cade Rider had a hit on four trips to the plate; and Kaleb Harrell was 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Austin South, Patrick Stow, and Nathan Thomas also scored runs in the contest. Switzerland County’s offense was helped by seven South Ripley errors, while the Pacers committed four miscues in the game.
On the mound, Whitham started and went 4 1/3-innings, suffering the loss. He allowed nine hits and five runs, but only three were earned while striking out seven. South finished up, going 2 2/3-innings and allowing five hits, one earned run, and he struck out four.
— On Wednesday, April 11th, the Pacers traveled to Milan, and again fell in a close game, 2-1.
Kenyon Bledsoe started on the hill for Switzerland County, pitching 4 1/3-innings and striking out three. He allowed seven hits and two earned runs. South pitched the final 1 2/3-innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two.
The offense produced eight hits on the night, and the Pacers scored a run in the top of the first to hold an early lead, but two runs by the Indians in the bottom of the fifth provided the final margin.
Cade Rider was 2-for-3; while Nathan Thomas was also 2-for-3. Bledsoe was 1-for-3 with a run scored; South was 1-for-4 with an RBI; Kyle Whitham had a hit in two official plate appearances; and Kaleb Harrell was 1-for-3.
— The offense got on track on Friday, April 13, as Nate Thomas earned his first varsity win on the mound as the Pacers defeated Shawe Memorial, 14-1.
Thomas pitched the first three innings, allowing five hits and one earned run while recording four strikeouts. Zach Weaver pitched two innings and picked up a strikeout while allowing one hit; and Kaleb Harrell pitched one inning, striking out two.
The offense got rolling, with Kenyon Bledsoe going 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI; and Austin South was 2-for-4 with a double, and he also scored two runs. Kyle Whitham was 1-for-2 with three runs scored and an RBI; Patrick Stow was 1-for-3 with two RBI; Weaver was 1-for-1 with two RBI; Nathan Scudder scored a run and had an RBI; Harrell scored three runs; and Brandon Bennett, Nathan Edwards, and Zack Stout also scored a run.
Switzerland County now hosts Madison tonight (Thursday, April 19th) in a game that was postponed from Saturday after the bad weather.
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On Tuesday, April 17th, the Switzerland County junior varsity team hosted North Decatur, and earned a 12-2 victory.
Zach Weaver went five innings in the game, striking out 12 Chargers while allowing just two hits and two runs, of which only one was earned.
Cade Rider led the offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs scored and two RBI; and Patrick Stow was 1-for-3 with a run scored. Nathan Edwards was 1-for-1 with a run scored and an RBI; Zack Stout had an RBI; and Tyler Lieland had a run scored and an RBI. Nathan Scudder also scored two runs; and Weaver scored a run.
Dustin Wallace was 1-for-3 with two runs scored.