Salem…The Pulaski Co. Cougars traveled to Salem and came out on the short end of a 7-2 score to the Spartans. Cougar starting pitcher Thomas Anderson had trouble finding the strike zone as he gave up six runs and five hits; he walked two, hit two batters and threw two wild pitches in three and one-third innings.

Salem’s starting pitcher Trevor Austin threw a complete game and scattered nine hits. He walked no one and struck out four. The first at bat set the table for this game as Salem lead-off hitter Riley Fox drew a walk. He then stole second and moved to third on an error and scored on Noah Beckley’s single.

Pulaski Co. then came up in the top of the second and Hunter Shrewsbury hit a sharp single to left, then Tyler Waddell singled. After a Salem error, both moved up to second and third. Neither could cross the plate as the Salem pitcher wiggled his way out of trouble. Those two at bats seemed to set the stage for rest of the contest.

Salem scored three runs in the second as Vincent Piniello walked, Austin was hit by a pitch and then Landon Hudson singled in Piniello. Fox then hit a two-run scoring double off the right field wall. Fox was a huge thorn in the side for the Cougars as he went three for three and a walk. He scored one run and knocked in five. The Spartans (9-3) added two more runs in the fourth to go up 6-0. Fox again hit a two-run double, this time to right center to score Austin and Hudson. Hudson finished with two hits, scored twice and knocked in one.

Pulaski Co. finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth when Braeden Blevins and Jon Osteen got back to back singles. Andrew Lowe singled to left scoring Blevins. Kam Hall then hit a sac fly to centerfield to knock in Osteen. It was too little too late as they would only get one hit the last two innings against Austin.

“We kept getting behind in the count on their hitters, and they scored and we didn’t get the hits in the clutch,“ said Cougar head coach Jared King. “They stole five bases and their pitcher kept us off balance at the plate for the most part.”

Blevins, Osteen and Tyler Waddell all had two hits for the Cougars (8-5-1) in a losing effort.

The Cougars are scheduled to play at home Tuesday against Carroll Co. They haven’t played a game at home since April 13th. Game time for Tuesday is 5:00 pm.

R H E LOB

Salem 7 7 1 4

Pul. Co. 2 9 2 6

Salem – WP- Austin

Pul. Co. – LP- Anderson (2-2)