WASHBURN GETS WIN, HALLER HAS 3 HITS, CARTER DRIVES IN 3 IN OPENER

If head coach Arron Kimes decided to name a player of the game from Monday’s season opening 10-0 win over Clarksville, he would have plenty of options.

Senior Jace Washburn, who has been preoccupied with basketball the pasts two season openers – losses to Fort Smith Northside – drew the opening day start and allowed just one hit while striking out eight.

Six of the first seven Panther outs were strikeouts and the other was on a ball that Washburn fielded.

Washburn got out of his only real trouble in the third inning by inducing a ground ball to third that Dylan Todd turned into an 5-2 double play. Clarksville, down 2-0, loaded the bases with a single, a walk, and an error,.

By then Washburn had already recorded the first hit of the season and scored the first run. He doubled to right leading off the second and scored on a double by Cutler Haller.

Haller would be another candidate. The run scoring double was the first of his three hits and two runs batted in.

Haller also scored the second run on a single by Casey Carter.

Carter was also worthy of consideration as he would go 2-for-2 with 3 RBI.

It was the the four through six hitters of Washburn, Haller, and Carter who helped the Bearcats double their lead to 4-0 in the fourth.

After Todd was hit by a pitch, Washburn singled and Haller put down a bunt (shown) to squeeze in Todd but turned it into a single as first base was uncovered. Carter followed with a sacrifice fly.

Although it would not result in a run, Jeremiah Shaw later prolonged the inning with a two-out single and he too would have a multiple hit day, going 2-for-3.

After Rhett Nietert relieved Washburn and pitched around an error in the fifth, the Bearcats scored six times in the bottom of the inning to end the game.

Nietert started that with a double then scored from second on a bunt. He was in motion when Hayden Daniel put down a sacrifice bunt and just kept running.

Todd then became the fourth player to hit a double and it would be 8-0 before a second out was recorded – there was also a Panther error – after singles by Haller and Carter, a walk drawn by Parker Smith, and Shaw’s second hit.

Bases loaded walks by Nietert and Daniel drove in the game ending runs.

The Bearcats were scheduled to host Hackett today but due to weather that game has been tentatively rescheduled for Thursday.