Baseball: Cougars slow host Pacers, 7-2

Apr. 15—VEVAY — Visiting South Decatur took control of Saturday's game at Switzerland County with a 5-run top of the second en route to a 7-2 win over the Pacers.

South threatened in the top of the first with a single by Devin Pate followed by a walk to Corey Nugent. Switzerland County got the next three batters for South.

Switzerland County's Hite reached on an error and Sparks drew a walk in the bottom of the first, but South's Pate retired the next Pacer with a fly out to Brock Lane.

Grady Scudder started the top of the fifth with a single. Scudder went to second on a passed ball and courtesy runner Jaylynn McMurray came in to run. Lane followed with a walk and Alex Myers followed with a walk to load the bases.

Corbin Johnson walked to score McMurray and Pate doubled to left to score two more runs. Nugent drove a single to left to drive in Johnson and Pate and give South the 5-0 lead.

A 2-out single by Switzerland County's Gross drove in two runs to cut the South lead to 5-2.

South added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the fifth. Lane singled to get things started. Johnson drew a 1-out walk. With two outs and runners on second and third, a Switzerland County fielding error scored Lane and Johnson to make the final 7-2.

Pate pitched 2.2 innings, allowing two earned run on four hits and two walks while striking out four. Nugent pitched 3.1 innings, allowing no runs on three hits and two walks while striking out seven. JP Scudder pitched one inning for South.

Pate led the offense with three hits and two RBIs. Grady Scudder added two hits. Nugent (two RBIs), Toby Bishop and Lane all had one hit. Johnson also had one RBI.

Greensburg

COLUMBUS — Visiting Greensburg scored a run in the top of the sixth and a run in the top of the seventh, but it was not enough to overcome Columbus East's 3-run fifth inning as the Olympians held off the Pirates 3-2.

Pitching was solid for both teams with the Pirates and Olympians only allowing four hits each in the game. The first hit of the game came in the top of the third when Greensburg's Ethan Smith singled to centerfield. The Olympians were hitless until the bottom of the fourth with a single by Tindell.

Greensburg threatened in the top of the fifth inning. Lance Coy drew a one-out walk. Cy Miller followed with a walk. With two outs, Smith walked to load the bases. Columbus East got out of the inning on a Greensburg line out.

Columbus opened the bottom of the fifth with a single by Balzer. Watkins walked and Jones was hit by a pitch. A wild pitched allowed Balzer to score the first run of the game. Wilkinson had an infield single to score Watkins. Columbus East scored the third run on a fielder's choice to lead 3-0 heading to the sixth inning.

Leland Workman drew a walk to start the sixth. With one out, Gavin Owens walked and Justin Adkins was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A two-out single by Cy Miller cut the deficit to 3-1.

In the top of the seventh, Smith singled, but was out at second on a fielder's choice off the bat of Bryson Kelso. After a walk to Workman, Kelso moved up on the fielder's choice by Caleb Greiwe. Owens singled to score Kelso to cut the deficit to 3-2. A walk to Adkins loaded the bases, but Columbus East got the final out to secure the victory.

For the Pirates, Coy started on the mound and pitched four innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits and two walks while striking out three. Owens pitched two innings, allowing no runs on two hits and one walk.

Smith had a pair of singles. Cy Miller added a single and RBI. Owens had a single and RBI.

Batesville

ST. LEON — In the first meeting of the year between Batesville and East Central, the Trojans jumped out to an 8-0 lead through four innings en route to a 10-1 victory.

East Central's Reynolds picked up the win on the mound, pitching all seven innings and allowing one earned run on five hits and one walk while striking out seven.

Chris Lewis and Eli Loichinger both doubled for the Bulldogs. Dane Dudley and Mason Jones had the other two singles for Batesville. Brayden Maple drove in the lone Batesville run with a single to centerfield to score Lewis.

On the mound, Jack Grunkemeyer pitched three innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four. Carter Bohman pitched three innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out one.

Contact Aaron Kirchoff at aaron.kirchoff@greensburgdailynews.com.