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)