By Ashlee Mullis
After having to cancel two scrimmages because of rain, the sky finally cleared, and the varsity baseball team opened the season at home on Tuesday against Floyd County. Senior Colby Vernon, started on the mound for the Cougars.
Vernon pitched five innings, allowing two runs, one earned on one hit, struck out four batters and walked three. He was relieved by Lane Taylor, who pitched two innings, giving up two runs, both unearned on two hits. Taylor struck out one batter and walked three. The game proved to be a heartbreaker. The Cougars had a 3-2 lead heading into the top of the 7th with batters 7, 8, and 9 up for the Buffaloes.
The Cougars got a quick out and walked the eighth batter. Back to back miscues on double plays that would have ended the game resulted in two runs scoring, putting Floyd on top 4-3. The Cougars couldn’t get the hits in the bottom of the 7th and took the disappointing 4-3 loss.
Patrick County outhit Floyd 8-2 and stranded 13 runners on base.
Coach Tal Swails said, He was “proud of the pitchers, they threw well enough to win but just didn’t capitalize offensively early in the game when we had opportunities to break it open.”
The Cougars were led offensively by Josh Cockram and Landon Augustine, who had two hits each, and Jacob Mullis, Kelon Penn, McCray Sawyers, and Taylor who each added a hit. The Cougars travel to Grayson County Thursday. (photos by Ashlee Mullis)