Not a bad hour's work
A one-hit shutout, a double, single, three RBI and three runs scored — all in an hour’s time.
All produced by Eric Dodd.
“That’s not too bad,” the Karns City right-hander said, smiling.
The Gremlins (2-0) had plenty to be happy about Tuesday at Kelly Automotive Park after cruising to a 15-0, three-inning baseball win over Keystone.
Their second game of the season was radically different from Saturday’s season opener, when a Tyler Yough RBI single in the final inning produced a one-run win over Brookville.
“You usually have to wait five or six games into the season to get a game like we had in that first one,” KC coach Dave McElroy said. “We executed properly and did what you need to do to win a close ballgame.
“Today, we executed in all phases of the game and it showed.”
Dodd threw only 36 pitches in his three innings. The lone Keystone hit was a clean single to left by Corey Rapp with one out in the first.
That runner was quickly erased as Sawyer Reed hit a ball into the right-center gap that KC center fielder Jimmy Thompson flagged down. Thompson threw to first to double off Rapp.
Dodd faced just one batter over the minimum.
“I pretty much just threw fastballs,” Dodd said. “I think I threw one curve ball the whole time.
“You’d like the game to go a little longer ... Winning close games like the other day is fun. But games like this every once in a while are fun, too.”
Nine different Gremlins scored runs as Keystone starter Devin Dunkle threw 64 pitches in two-plus innings. The Panthers needed 95 pitches to record just seven outs before the mercy rule ended the game.
“Everything is new to these kids and the kids are new to us,” first-year Keystone coach J.P. Samay said. “Maybe we had some guys playing out of position. We didn’t make enough contact at the plate.
“We’re a fairly young team and these are things we’ll work on.”
Karns City worked on scoring runs in bunches.
Cullen Williams had two singles and four RBI. Dodd had his three RBI, Markus Lantz a pair of singles and three runs scored.
“We hit the ball well tonight. Good, steady, solid contact,” McElroy said.
The Gremlins ran the bases aggressively as well, stealing four bases. McElroy hopes that becomes a trend.
“We want to play fast,” he said. “We play a game in practice called Hustle Ball, where the count is always 2-1 and we put a runner in motion.
“The hitters get good reps, the fielders get good reps, it makes us a better team.”
Keystone 000 xxx x — 0 1 4
Karns City 519 xxx x — 15 11 0
W: Eric Dodd 3IP (4K, 1BB). L: Devin Dunkle 2.1IP (1K, 3BB).
Keystone (0-1): Corey Rapp 1B
Karns City (2-0): Markus Lantz 2-1B 3-R, Tyler Yough 2-1B RBI 2-R, Cullen Williams 2-1B 4-RBI 2-R, Eric Dodd 1B 2B 3-RBI 3-R, Colton Hutchison 2B 2-RBI, Jacob Weckerly 1B RBI, Steve O’Donnell 1B RBI
Thursday: Karns City at Union
