The Caldwell County Tigers took both games of a doubleheader over visiting Dawson Springs on Tuesday night, winning 11-0 and 18-1. The Tigers improve to 4-1 on the year, while the Panthers fall to 1-2.
The Caldwell bats were slow to come to life in the first game, but freshman 1B Tate VanHooser jump-started the attack with a 2-run shot in the bottom of the fourth to put the Tigers up 4-0. The homer was the first of VanHooser’s high school career.
Caldwell used a 7-run sixth inning to put the Panthers away. Senior IF/P Jase Ryan Felker and junior OF/P Oliver Parker had RBI doubles, with senior IF/P Bryce Thomas also knocking in a run to fuel the surge.
Senior 1B/P Shane Burns earned the win, going 6.0 and only allowing one hit with thirteen strikeouts and three walks. Parker finished 3-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored, followed by VanHooser at 2-3 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Senior IF/P Noah Brown had two hits and 2 runs scored, junior P/OF Gabe East also had two hits, as did Thomas to go along with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Sophomore IF/P Cody Holub had an RBI and scored a run.
The Tigers picked up where they left off in the first game, scoring 12 runs over the first three innings on the way to an 18-1 blowout in the second game. They capitalized on seven Panther errors, and outhit Dawson Springs fourteen to zero.
Gabe East earned the win, allowing no hits over four innings with eight strikeouts and two walks. Junior OF/P Blake Stallins pitched the last inning, striking out two.
Thomas led the way with three hits and 4 RBI, followed by Felker at 2-2 with an RBI and 3 runs scored. East was 2-5 with 2 RBI and a run, Brown had two hits and an RBI and scored 4, Burns scored 4 times with a hit and an RBI, and Parker finished 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored. VanHooser, Holub, and junior OF/P John Davis each had an RBI.
The Tigers are back in action on Friday when they go on the road to face Paducah Tilghman. The Blue Tornado are 5-0 and beat Caldwell 13-4 in Princeton last Friday.
