By Ashlee Mulls
The Cougar JV Baseball Team lost 1-9 to Cave Spring at home on April 29. Garrett Leftwich took the loss on the mound for the Cougars, pitching three innings, striking out three, walking eight, allowing three hits and nine runs. Carson Merriman came in as a relief in the fourth inning, striking out two, walking two, and allowing two hits. Leftwich had two hits and one RBI. The Cougars were holding the Knights close until the fifth. “One inning again is the difference in the game,” said Coach Donny Rakes. “They scored seven in the fifth inning and broke open a very close game.”
On May 2, the Cougars travelled to Carroll County where they were defeated 4-14 in six innings. Garrett Leftwich was the starting pitcher for Patrick County, pitching 4 innings, striking out three, walking five, and allowing seven hits and eight runs. Carson Merriman came in to pitch the remainder of the game, striking out one, walking none, and allowing six hits and six runs. Camden Nowlin led the Cougars at the plate with four hits and one RBI. Carson Merriman and Gilbert Hubbard had two hits each, and Merriman also had an RBI. Grayson Howell, Nash Thompson, Kase Leftwich, Garrett Leftwich, and Hunter Strole each had one hit for the Cougars. Thompson also added an RBI. A frustrated Rakes said “It is the same story that has plagued us all year long. We have a really good game until the one bad inning happens. It was 4-3 going into bottom of the fifth, and then they scored seven runs.”
