Cougars Sweep Pair of
Games in Cardinal Showcase
The Cougars held off Teutopolis 2-0 in game one of the North Clay Cardinal Wooden Bat Showcase and then
bounced the host team 12-1 in game two to claim top honors in the Saturday afternoon round robin affair.
In game one, Lance Schneider was almost flawless as he picked-up his second pitching victory of the young
season by allowing no runs on three hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts in a complete game performance.
Offensively, the Cougars did manage to put two runs on the board in their first at-bat, but they struggled
for most of the game as they struck out ten times against the crafty Teutopolis starter.
Will Crain led off the first with a single, then moved to second after a strikeout and a single off the bat
of Aaron Robb. After another strikeout, Zac Cain delivered the only run-scoring hit of the game when he doubled into the left-centerfield
gap to score both runners.
In game two, the Cougars got another outstanding pitching performance, this time from Marcus Hicks, and walloped
fourteen hits as they smacked North Clay in the championship showdown.
Hicks relieved starting pitcher Tanner Bushue after one inning and went the rest of the way to record his
first victory of the season by allowing one unearned run on four hits, no walks, and six strikeouts.
The offense sent twelve men to the plate in their second at-bat and after the dust had settled, found themselves
up 9-0.
Highlighting the uprising was a pair of homeruns off the bat of Shea Burton and a two-run single from Bushue.
Burton led off the inning with a solo shot and when his turn came up again, he blasted a two-run bomb to account for the final
two runs in the inning.
In the sixth, Bushue led off with a double and Cain singled before Burton picked-up his fourth RBI of the
game with a double to gap in right-center. Schneider finished off the scoring when he rolled a single up the middle to plate
two more.
The Cougars are back in action next Wednesday when they host the St. Elmo Eagles at 4:30PM.
