The Switzerland County Pacer varsity baseball team continues its busy season, defeating Jac-Cen-Del and Oldenburg Academy and falling in a heart-breaker to Southwestern during the past week.
— On Thursday, May 10th, Kyle Whitham earned the win on the mound as the Pacers beat Oldenburg, 4-3.
Whitham went seven innings, allowing three runs but only one was earned. He struck out 10 and only allowed two walks and seven hits. The Twisters scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the sixth, but it wasn’t enough as Whitham regained control and finished the game.
Offensively, the Pacers got two runs in the top of the first to get off to a good start; and then added two more in the fourth.
Patrick Stow led the way by going 1-for-3 with two RBI; and Kenyon Bledsoe was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Cade Rider was 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base; Austin South was 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base; Nathan Thomas was 1-for-2; while Coby Blanton and Dustin Wallace each scored a run.
— On Saturday, May 12th, the Pacers traveled to Hanover for an ORVC game against Southwestern, and after a slow start the Switzerland County offense got rolling, but it wasn’t enough as the Rebels won by a final score of 8-7.
Southwestern struck early, knocking out Pacer starting pitcher Bledsoe in the first inning. The senior didn’t record an out, giving up seven earned runs on two hits and two walks before leaving in favor of South. South then went six innings, striking out four and allowing four hits and one earned run.
“It looked like we thought the game started at noon instead of 11 a.m,” Coach Chad Combs said of his Pacer team. “We spotted the Rebels seven runs in the first. I was very proud of the comeback attempt and the fact that the guys never gave up.”
Switzerland County got back close in the top of the third, scoring five runs; and then the Pacers made a run at the Rebels in the top of the seventh, scoring two more runs, but falling just short, 8-7.
Whitham had a huge day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored; Rider was also 3-for-4 with a run scored and a double; Stow was 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI; and Kaleb Harrell was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Bledsoe was 1-for-4 with a run scored; South was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored; Zach Weaver was 1-for-3; and Thomas was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
— On Monday, May 14th, the Pacers posted a big 12-2 win over conference foe Jac-Cen-Del.
Bledsoe took the hill again, going four innings and striking out two to earn the win. The senior allowed both runs, but they were unearned; and allowed no hits and three walks.
Whitham finished up, going one inning before the game was stopped due to the 10-run rule. He allowed the only hit that the Eagles managed in the game, and also picked up a strikeout.
Whitham was also the star of the game at the plate, as he went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple, accounting for five RBI and two runs scored. South also collected three hits on three official trips to the plate, including a triple; and he scored two runs and had an RBI.
Stow was also 3-for-3 with a double and a triple, scoring two runs and knocking in another. Rider was 1-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base; Bledsoe was 1-for-3 with an RBI; Harrell was 1-for-2 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base; Thomas was 1-for-3 with a run scored; Blanton was 1-for-3 with a stolen base; and Brandon Bennett scored a run.
