WASHBURN THROWS COMPLETE GAME, DRIVES IN TWO IN WIN

Jace Washburn threw his first career complete game and beat a larger classification school for the third straight start as the Bearcats topped Alma 11-2 Thursday. He also drove in two runs.

Washburn threw six shutout innings before a couple of errors contributed to two unearned runs in the seventh for the Airedales.

His previous longest outing was six innings against both Clarksville on March 27 and Pottsville on April 3. He had also gone six innings against Pottsville as a freshman.

Washburn (3-0) was staked to a 3-0 lead before taking the mound. He contributed to that with his first RBI of the day.

Rhett Nietert (2-for-4) singled with one down and scored on a Dax Goff (3-for-4) triple. After Goff scored on a passed while Peyton Tatum was drawing a walk, Dunn Daniel reached on the first of what would be seven Airedale errors.

Washburn then singled to score Tatum to make it 3-0 and walks to Ry Ray (2-for-3), who made his first start defensively, and Matt O’Bar filled the bases but the Bearcats left them full.

The Bearcats (12-4) left two aboard in the second inning after the Airedales made a pitching change and the score would remain 3-0 until the sixth.

David Hicks led off the top of the sixth with a single to left and Brooks Herrera (3-for-5) put down a bunt single.

Although Hicks was erased on the basepaths, Nietert was hit by a pitch and Goff delivered his second extra base hit, a run scoring double, and it was 4-0.

After Tatum was hit by a pitch and an Airedale error allowed Daniel to reach again. Washburn followed with his second RBI to make it 7-0.

The lead was 11-0 going to the bottom of the seventh after Hicks reached on an error, Herrera and Nietert delivered back-to-back doubles for a run, Goff singled for his third hit and second RBI, a throwing error got a run, and Tatum reached on another error that scored one.

A Bearcat error started the Alma seventh and, after two were down, the Airedales had three straight hits – Washburn had allowed just four going into the inning – and scored twice before Hicks ran down a fly ball for the final out.

The Bearcats will play their fourth game of the week on Friday against Two Rivers. Already assured of the top seed in the district tournament, the Bearcats clinch an outright conference title with a win over the Gators.