The enthusiasm was good. The opposing pitcher was great.

Chayce McCombie, a relief pitcher at Indiana (Pa.) University, made his first summer start for Cummings Motors a memorable one, tossing a two-hit shutout in a 6-0 victory over the Butler Iron Bucks in a mutual Tri-State Collegiate Baseball League opener Saturday at Pullman Park.

The Iron Bucks did not get a runner to second base in the first game of a doubleheader.

“That kid through an excellent game,” Iron Bucks manager Shawn Manning said. “We made some hard contact against him, just not enough. Some of those pop flies ... We just missed (squaring) them (up).”

McCombie threw 96 pitches. He struck out five and issued only one walk. He hit Butler graduate Cooper Baxter with a pitch in the fifth inning. Baxter was the designated hitter in the first game and started the second contest at shortstop.

Mike Sittig had a one-out infield single in the third inning. Noah Ross lined a single to left with two outs in the fourth. That was the extent of the Iron Bucks’ offense.

“Chayce is going to a be a starting pitcher for us and we wanted to stretch him out,” Cummings Motors manager Chris Sanders said of McCombie’s pitch count. “He looked strong out there. We weren’t concerned about his pitches because he never showed any signs of tiring.”

Iron Bucks starting pitcher Gino Scott, who plays for Pitt-Johnstown, threw 113 pitches in five innings, but allowed only two runs. He forced Cummings Motors to strand nine runners, including the bases loaded twice.

Scott struck out 11 and walked four.

“Gino did a nice job,” Manning said. “He wants to build up his pitch count, so we let him go. But five innings was enough. He kept us in the game.

“Our bats will come around. I like the talent we’ve assembled on this team.”

The Iron Bucks bounced back to win the second game, 6-2, behind Gannon University pitcher Max Graeber. Mason Timko singled in the second inning and scored the team’s first run of the season when Chase Morrison reached on a two-out infield error.

Cummings Motor’s Max Rodgers drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the first game’s first run in the first inning. Jacob Hensor added a run-scoring single against Scott in the fifth inning.

Cummings Motors broke loose with four runs in the top of the seventh. Rodgers had an RBI single, Joshua Miller a two-run single and Alex Hlivia an RBI single in the frame.

Cummings Motors, from the Altoona-Johnstown area, is a newcomer to the Tri-State Collegiate League.

“We play in a local league at home, too, but we joined this league because we want to face better competition, better pitching,” Sanders said. “A league like this will make our entire program better.”