Nolan Tatum and Hunter Hester combined to pitch a 1-hit shutout and strike out 17 batters as the BlueClaws blanked the RedBirds 6-0 Friday night in Dixie Boys Baseball action at County Park.
Tatum started and worked 3 hitless innings on the mound for the BlueClaws, striking out 9 batters, walking 4 and hitting one. Hester relieved in the 4th inning and pitched 4 innings of 1-hit relief striking out 8, walking 4 and hitting one batter.
Kasey Nichols belted a 2-out single in the 7th inning for the lone RedBird hit.
Chace Butler reached base on an error in the BlueClaw 3rd inning, and Cade Allen walked. Hester knocked in both runners with a single that put the BlueClaws up 2-0.
Kewone Maynor smacked a 1-out single in the BlueClaw 4th inning but was forced out at 2nd base by Tredon Scott. Aiden Russ walked, and Butler, Allen and Hester delivered back-to-back-to-back singles that drove in Scott, Russ and Butler to stretch the lead to 5-0.
Allen walloped a triple in the 6th inning and dashed home on Hester’s sacrifice to pad the lead to 6-0.
Allen batted 2-for-2 with the triple, a run batted in and 2 runs scored. Hester finished 2-for-3 at the plate with 4 RBIs. Connor Smith turned in a 2-for-4 game at the plate. Butler, Tatum, Chason Harris and Maynor connected for 1 hit each.
Butler scored 2 runs and drove in one, and Russ and Scott scored 1 run each.
The BlueClaws posted their first win of the season and will play the GreenJackets Wednesday. The RedBirds will play the GreenJackets Monday at 6 p.m.
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