Dublin…If you hadn’t gotten a seat early for this game, you may have missed a lot of fire works. The Cougars sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning as they romped over the Blacksburg Bruins 11-4. The Cougars scored eight runs before they made their first out in their half of the first. They more than answered the Bruins scoring 3 runs in the top of the first. The two teams combined for 11 runs, 8 hits and 21 batters to the plate. That first inning lasted for almost an hour.

Blacksburg got their three runs off of Cougar starting hurler Hunter Shrewsbury. They also had four hits and the Cougars committed an error.

Pulaski Co.’s (10-6-1) victory put them into having a winning regular season for the first time in years. It’s believed the last winning season was 2012, but that’s not for certain. The Cougars were led by senior second baseman Jordan Lytton who was 3 for 4, knocking in three and scoring one run. Tyler Waddell had two hits and had two RbIs and Andrew Lowe also knocked in two runs. Jon Osteen was 2 for 3 at the plate with a couple walks and a run scored. Shrewsbury (4-1) picked up the win as he pitched five innings, surrendered four runs of which three were earned. He scattered 10 hits and struck out five. Dylan Danner pitched the last two innings giving up no runs and no hits.

The Bruins (4-10) got two hits apiece from Sebi Cianelli, Wes McCoy and Mike Olszewski. Chris Wysocki was tagged with the loss as he gave up four runs and walked three. Joe Cuba came in to relieve him, and the Cougars scored five more runs on four hits against him as he walked four.

“I’m so happy and proud of theses guys. They responded to the Bruins first inning here today. I told them congratulations on a winning season and getting into double digit wins,“ said a happy Cougar head coach Jared King. “We battled and competed tonight and this my first winning season here as coach thanks to all the players. They are very deserving. I thought Shrewsbury (Hunter) and Danner (Dylan) pitched real well. This was just Shrewsbury’s second start of the season on the mound and Danner pitched two shut-out innings.“ Coach then said, “Blacksburg is a good hitting ball club and their record is deceiving as far as I’m concerned.”

The Cougars will travel to Cave Spring Thursday with the first pitch slated for 5:00 pm.

 

R H E LOB

Pulaski Co. 11 9 1 9

B-Burg 4 10 1 8

 

 

Pul. Co. – WP- Shrewsbury – (4-1)

 

B- Burg – LP – Wysocki

Dublin…Some times its just not your day! Sometimes the harder you try the worse it gets. That’s a couple of the things that came to mind after the Cougars lost to Hidden Valley 13-0 in five innings.

The Titans (10-4-1) sent 12 batters to the plate in the top of the second getting eight runs, five hits, two stolen bases with one of those being home. They also took full advantage of two huge Cougar throwing errors plus a hit batsman and a walk. To add insult to injury, the Titans then sent 10 batters to the dish in the third inning scoring five runs on five hits. There were two hit batters and two more stolen bases.

So in those two innings Hidden Valley sent 22 batters to the plate while the Cougars only sent 18 to plate for the five-inning game!

It all started as Jackson Odenwelder stroked a single to right to start the top of the second. Then Jake Freeland singled to center. After an pop-out for the first out, the roof fell in on the Cougars. Travis Finch laid down a bunt that was fielded by Cougar starting pitcher Thomas Anderson. Anderson would throw the ball away into centerfield trying to get an out at second base. Kale Doolan would also lay down a bunt, and Anderson would throw to first that would hit Doolan in the back scoring another run. Jordan Culver would hit a single to left that scored both Finch and Doolan. Cody Boone would single, Evan Sperger was hit by a pitch, and Odenwelder drew a bases loaded walk in his second time up in the inning. Freeland’s double to left center drove in two more to knock Anderson out of the game. The third inning saw Cougar relief pitcher Dylan Danner give up 4 straight hits and then two hit batters before Odenwelder’s sac fly to center. Freeland’s RBI single would knock Danner out of the game before the third Cougar pitcher Zakk Jones would finally get the second and third outs to end the uprising.

Hidden Valley got a one hit, five-inning shutout pitched by Will Marston. The only hit he gave up was to Jon Osteen the second batter of the game for the Cougars. Marston would strike out 10 and walked two. The two walks by Marston were in the fifth and final inning. Freeland went 3 for 3 with 3 RBIs and scored a run. Jordan Culver was 2 for 3, knocked in four and scored twice. Odenwelder scored twice and knocked in two.

“We were on our heels from the start of the game,“ said a dejected Cougar head coach Jared King. “Hidden Valley were the aggressors today and we didn’t play well to put it mildly. We had a real good practice yesterday (Thursday) but we weren’t ready to play today. Give Hidden Valley credit, they executed and they took advantage of every one of our mistakes.”

The Cougars (9-6-1) went three up and three down in three of the five innings. It arguably was the worst performance of the season for the Cougars. The first time these two teams played at Hidden Valley, they played to a 6 all tie. The Titans made quick assurance that this time that wasn’t going to be the case this game.

Pulaski Co. will try to get back on the winning ledger as they host the Blacksburg Bruins Tuesday. The Bruins defeated the Cougars 8-7 at Blacksburg earlier in the season. The first pitch for Tuesday is slated for 5:00 pm.

 

 

 

R H E LOB

Hidden Valley 13 11 1 5

 

Pulaski Co. 0 1 4 3

 

Hidden Valley – WP- Marston

Pulaski Co. – LP – Anderson (3-3)