The McCracken County baseball season kicked off on Tuesday with a bang in a 10-0 win over the Christian County Colonels. Three Mustang pitchers allowed just one combined hit the entire night, while the offense complimented that perfectly with their explosiveness at the plate.
“It looked like game one, but it was a good game,” Mustangs head coach Zach Hobbs said. “Christian County threw some good arms at us, but we settled in and made some plays. I’m pleased where we started.”
The Mustangs wasted no time in the bottom of the first starting up their offense. Leadoff hitter Caden Kern connected on the first pitch he saw for a single up the middle. The next batter, Lane Grace, battled during a long at bat and roped a double over the left fielder head that scored Kern for the first run of the Mustang’s season.
Kendrick Dunning followed this up for the third consecutive hit for McCracken with an RBI single, which scored McCracken’s second and final run of the inning.
After an unearned run in the third, the Mustangs added another run off the bat of Braden Casebier, who hit a ball through the left side infield gap that scored Nolan Short, who doubled earlier in the inning.
Noah Godwin got the nod to start on the mound for McCracken. The senior had a stellar performance to start the year, allowing just one hit while striking out six in his scoreless four innings.
Joshua Penrod came in relief for the fifth inning, and struck out all three batters he faced. Gage Reeves closed out the game in the sixth with another 1-2-3 innings with two strikeouts.
“Noah commanded the zone really well early. Penrod and Reeves came in there and we got to get them on the mound,” Hobbs said. “Reeves is a sophomore so it was great to get him his first opportunity there.”
During this two inning span, McCracken put up a three spot in each inning. Kendrick Dunning put a ball on a rope into the gap that turned into a triple and RBI, and later scored in the fifth to make it 7-0.
In the bottom half of the sixth, Kannon Mahan and Justin English both reached base as the first two batters of the inning. And with Briar Hall up to bat, he launched a ball over the left field wall for a long three-run home run. This enacted the mercy rule, ending the game 10-0 in favor of McCracken.
“We were planning on having Fox come in in the seventh, but Hall kinda ruined our plans for that,” Coach Hobbs said jokingly after the game. “He squared around to bunt on his own, and it was seven to nothing so just told him to swing, and he hits a jack. What a good first varsity at bat. I think that was his first one, and he hits a 3-run homer for a walk-off.”
This was an excellent way to start the season for the Mustangs. Offense and defense were both clicking, and looked like that state runner-up squad from last year with that success.
McCracken is now 1-0 and will wait until Friday for their next game, when they travel to Edwardsville, Illinois to face Glenwood. After that matchup, they quickly turn around and continue against more Illinois opponents on Saturday, facing Joliet Catholic and Freeberg.
Game stats
MCCRACKEN COUNTY 10, CHRISTIAN COUNTY 0
CCHS- 0 0 0 0 0 0 x- 0 1 2
MCHS- 2 — 1 1 3 3 x- 10 9 0
WP:Godwin ; LP: Montes
2B: Grace, Godwin
3B:Dunning
HR: Hall
TB: Hall 4, Dunning 4, Godwin 3, Grace 2, Casebier 1, Kern 1, English 1, Dazey 1
HBP: Lewis 2, Truitt, Grace
SB: Dunning 2, Dazey
E: Boheman, Stokes
RECORDS: McCracken County (1-0) ; Christian County (1-1)