Bobcats blast Bulldogs in area opener
By Staff
Mike Self FCT Sports Editor
PHIL CAMPBELL - Sixteen hits. Twenty-two runs. A dominant pitching performance.
And all in just four-and-a-half innings.
Now that's what you call a big entrance.
Randy Cochran drove in four runs and Todd Carter struck out seven in a three-hitter on Monday as Phil Campbell officially opened play in Class 2A, Area 16 with a 22-1 victory over county rival Belgreen.
The Bobcats, who dropped down from Class 3A, scored seven runs in the second inning and followed that up with a 10-run third inning, making short work of the Bulldogs on a wet and foggy evening at Massey Field.
The Bobcats (4-3, 1-0) had just four hits through two innings but led 10-0, taking advantage of five walks and three hit batsmen.
Phil Campbell then sent 14 men to the plate in the third inning and banged out eight hits, three of them doubles.
All of this proved to be plenty of support for Carter, who retired the first eight men he faced and carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning.
Carter said he had difficulty picking up the catcher's signs and even seeing the plate at times, but he didn't allow it to affect his pitching.
After Carter fanned two and retired the side in order in the top of the first, Phil Campbell went to work at the plate in the bottom half.
Eric Glasgow was hit by a pitch with one out and stole second.
After Justin Gardner struck out Griffin Harris, Cochran delivered a two-out RBI single to right field to plate Glasgow for a 1-0 lead.
After Kevin Lacey was hit by a pitch, Aaron Voyles came through with an RBI single to right to make it 2-0.
Lacey later scored on a wild pitch to give the Bobcats a 3-0 lead after one.
Carter struck out two more batters in the top of the second, and the Bobcats tallied seven runs in the bottom of the inning with the help of five walks, three wild pitches and a hit batsman.
Carter was hit by a pitch, stole second and later scored the inning's first run to make it 4-0.
After three straight walks, Harris chased Gardner with an RBI single. Cochran greeted reliever Jonathan Snipes with an RBI infield hit, and Glasgow scored on a throwing error to make it 7-0.
A bases-loaded walk to Voyles forced home another run, and courtesy runner Adam Mitchell scored on a wild pitch. An RBI groundout by Carter capped the inning and made it 10-0.
The Bobcats erupted for 10 more runs in the third.
Matt Thomas and Glasgow started the rally with singles, and a sacrifice fly by Harris made it 11-0.
Kevin Lacey had an RBI single, and Steven Lacey and Carter each drove in a run as the lead grew to 14-0.
Tate Canida's two-run double down the right field line made it 16-0, and Thomas and Glasgow each drove in a run with their second hit of the inning to make it 18-0.
Cochran finished off the inning with a two-run double.
Belgreen got on the board in the fourth when Colby Barnett singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single by Cory Rumble.
The Bobcats finished off the scoring in the bottom of the fourth when Caleb Thompson singled home Voyles and Jonathan Dill was hit by a pitch with the bases full to force home Steven Lacey.