Pitching, Defense Propel
Cougars to Weekend Sweep
If pitching and defense is considered a sure formula for success, then the Cougars used just the right mix
as they upped their record to 5-1 with a trio of wins over the weekend.
On Friday, the Cougars opened Midland Trail Conference play with a resounding 8-0 victory over last year's
regular season champion, the Dieterich Movin' Maroons.
Starting pitcher Spencer Patton was "king of the hill" as he recorded 19 strikeouts in one of the most dominant
pitching performances in Cougar history. He recorded the other two outs on weakly hit pop-ups in foul ground and allowed just
one hit, a bad-hop single over the infield.
The offense totaled only three hits, but two of those were hit deep into the night and accounted
for seven of the Cougars' runs. Nathan Lotz broke a scoreless tie in the fourth with a grand slam and Trey Garrett
followed with a 3-run bomb in the fifth.
On Saturday, the Cougars traveled to Olney Central College to participate in the North Clay Wooden Bat Tournament.
In game one, Miles Yates picked up his second victory of the season by tossing a complete game 1-hit shutout and
the Cougars prevailed by a score of 6-0.
The team defense was outstanding in their support of Yates as they played flawlessly in the field. The play
of the game was turned in by Tyler Mulvany when he fielded a swinging bunt and throwing on the run, nipped the runner at first.
The Cougar offense cranked out eight hits and were led by Blake Lane with a pair of singles and two RBI's.
In the championship game, Trey Garrett turned the hat trick for the Cougar pitching staff as he also went
the distance, throwing a 2-hit masterpiece in a 3-2 victory over the always tough Teutopolis Wooden Shoes.
A two-out, two-run double was the only damage the Shoes could manage to inflict. Garrett continually
mixed his pitches and the results were routine ground balls and easy pop-ups that the Cougar defense easily handled.
Offensively, the Cougars scored all of their runs in the first inning as they batted through the order. The
big blows came courtesy of Lotz and Simmons as each knocked out RBI singles.
The Cougars hit the road again next Tuesday when they travel to Noble to battle the Wildcats in a 4:30
P.M. conference game.
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