Todd County Central finished its regular-season district baseball sweep of Russellville in impressive fashion Tuesday, as the Rebels no-hit the Panthers for the second time in as many games this season.
Sophomore Preston Rager, who finished a walk and two hit-by-pitch batters away from a perfect game, struck out a dozen and threw a five-inning no-hitter in Todd Central’s 10-0 victory over host Russellville.
Rager (2-2) becomes the third different Rebels pitcher to throw a no-no in 2021. He joins Will Kearns (April 16 vs. Dawson Springs) and Jacob Brandon (April 27 vs. Russellville) in allowing zero hits in a game this year. This latest triumph dealt the Panthers their eighth straight loss and helped TCCHS wrap up its 13th District campaign with a 2-4 record.
Offensively, the Rebels struck early Tuesday with a two-out single from Tanner Farmer. The junior’s team-leading 23rd RBI of the season gave Todd a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The rout really began in the top of the third, when the visitors struck for six runs on four hits and three RHS errors in the frame.
Todd County Central senior Jameson Hunt’s two-run single was the biggest hit of the game. Hunt finished 2-for-3 with a run and three total RBIs in the win. He was one of seven Rebels to record a hit. Nate Reding (2-for-4, three runs), Farmer (2-for-2, run, RBI) and Jacob Brandon (2-for-3, run, RBI, stolen base) also turned in solid performances.
Russellville’s Davin Holloway (0-13) pitched all five innings in defeat. He gave up nine hits, 10 runs (five earned), and three walks while fanning three. The Panthers committed five errors. Khristian McCall drew a one-out walk in the second inning, but Rager proceeded to strike out the side to strand one of just three RHS base runners.
The Rebels (17-9) have five regular-season games remaining. The next of those is a May 20 matchup with Caverna in Elkton. Todd Central defeated the Colonels 15-0 in the teams’ previous meeting back on April 1.
