The Caldwell County baseball team has won five of its last seven games to climb back up to the .500 mark at 8-8.
The Tigers picked up a pair of wins Saturday afternoon in Smithland, outscoring Ballard Memorial 16-7 and blanking host Livingston Central 11-0.
In the opener, Tate VanHooser became the first Tiger ever to record five base hits in one game, going 5-for-6 with three runs batted in and slamming his first home run of the season. He also had a double and three singles while scoring five times in the contest.
Meanwhile, sophomore Jamus Carneyhan won his first varsity start on the mound. Carneyhan overcame a shaky beginning – that saw Ballard Memorial score five times in the first two innings – to put up zeroes in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
Carneyhan allowed six earned runs on seven base hits before getting relief help from Brady Holeman and VanHooser.
Holeman also contributed at the plate, going 3-for-5 and driving in three runs. Carter Whittington went 3-for-4 as part of Caldwell’s 17-hit game. The Tigers were also issued nine free passes.
Both teams went deep into their pitching staffs in the contest as they tried to save their top pitchers for next week.
The Bombers (10-10) led 3-2 after one inning, but Caldwell scored five times in the second, three times in the third and twice in the fourth to build a 12-5 advantage.
In the second game, Logan Smiley pitched a one-hitter and also homered as Caldwell rolled past Livingston Central 11-0 in five innings.
Smiley fanned nine and did not issue a walk in a 68-pitch performance.
Hunter Newsom was 3-for-4 at the plate and also homered. He added a double and drove in the two runs in the contest.
Holeman was 2-for-3 and drove in two while Smiley was 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Caldwell scored twice in the top of the second to grab the upper hand, then put a six-spot on the scoreboard in the third to go up 8-0.
Newsom drilled a two-run homer to left while VanHooser singled home two runs in the big third inning.
Smiley homered leading off the fifth inning and Caldwell scored three times in that frame to go up 11-0 on the way to beating the Cardinals for the second time this season.
A one-out single by Luke Vinson in the fourth inning was the only base hit for Livingston (3-13).
Caldwell’s next six games are all scheduled at home, starting with Tuesday’s date against Hopkinsville.
