NIETERT DRAWS OPENING DAY START

Last season Rhett Nietert retired four hitters in three pitching appearances.

Monday evening the now sophomore, who allowed no runs in any of his brief outings, drew the opening day start at Hunt’s Park against Fort Smith Northside and threw four innings.

Nietert (0-1) took the loss but allowed just three hits and two runs, only one of which was earned. He struck out three and walked two in his first career start.

Nietert matched the Grizzlies first inning zero with one of his own but the Grizzlies used a one out walk, a single, and a squeeze bunt that became a hit to score a run in the second.

There would be another walk in the inning but Nietert got out of the jam by inducing a couple of ground balls.

Taking advantage of a pair of errors Northside made it 2-0 in the third, but Nietert threw a perfect fourth and was done for the day with 55 pitches.

Going to the fourth the Bearcats were hitless but Dylan Todd resolved that with his first of two hits.
Parker Smith also singled with one down but a double play ended the inning.

Todd also took over on the mound in the fifth, and although the first four Northside hitters he faced all reached, the Bears managed just two runs.

Smith threw out one runner trying to steal and Nietert, after a misplay on a bunt, caught another runner too far off second, threw behind him, and started a 6-4-6-3 putout for a second out.

The Bearcats put two aboard in the sixth on a dropped fly ball and Todd’s second single but both were stranded.

A walk, sacrifice bunt and a double plated a fifth run for Northside in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-0.

Scoring twice and eventually having the tying run at the plate, the Bearcats finally broke through in the seventh. Tayden Washburn singled with one out and Casey Carter joined him on base on a fielder’s choice with Washburn safe at second.

After Nietert drew a walk to fill the bases. Rylen Ray had a swinging bunt single for an RBI and it was 5-1. Matt O’Bar hit a fly ball that scored pinch runner Dakota Fonseca to make it 5-2 before the final out was recorded.

The Bearcats will travel to Morrilton today. First pitch is at 4:30.