Sports

The future of Howard County baseball looked pretty good Thursday night at that city park April 21, 2008 - No reporter cited

Dewayne Holloway
Sports Editor

Pitching was the highlight of the night Thursday, when Western Home and Auto played the Dierks Outlaws at Nashville City Park, as pitchers for both teams combined for one hit and a 0-0 tie.

Andrew Sirmon started the game for the Outlaws, with nine strikeouts and two walks, while giving up no hits or runs in three innings.

Adam Bradshaw would enter the game in the top of the fourth inning and complete the no hitter for the Outlaws, with five strikeouts and one walk.
Asher Walker would start the game for Western Home and Auto, pitching three innings with two strikeouts and one walk.

Teammate Stephen Kreul took control of the mound in the fourth inning and closed out the game with six strikeouts and three walks and one hit as he closed out a commanding performance by all four pitchers.

Sirmon would get to flex his pitching muscles from the very beginning, by striking three of the four batters he faced in the first inning.

Kreul walked, giving Western Home and Auto their only baserunner of the inning. He would reach second base on a wild pitch, but would get no further, before Sirmon brought an end to the top of the inning.

The Outlaws were unable to capitalize offensively in the bottom of the first inning.

Cody Ewing recorded the first out of the inning for Western Home and Auto, when he caught a flyball in center field.

Bradshaw would reach base when he was hit by a pitch, but suffered the same fate as Kreul, when he would advance to second base on a wild pitch and then get stranded as Kreul would contribute with his glove by throwing a baserunner out at first base to end the inning.

Sirmon continued to dominate from the mound with three strikeouts, to retire the side in the top of the second inning.

Kreul would continue to stifle the Outlaw offense, when he figured in to all three outs in the bottom of the second inning.

Kreul would throw out the first Outlaw batter at first base for the first out. Dallas Kesterson would reach first base on a walk, but Kreul would be credited with the first half of a double play, as he caught a flyball and then threw Kesterson out at second base to end the inning.

The third inning was more of the same for both teams, as Sirmon struck out three more batters while walking Rashon Lee.

Western Home and Auto third baseman Andy Graves would throw out the Outlaws first batter for the first out of the inning and Walker would end the inning with two strikeouts.

Outlaw catcher Tyler Narens would catch a foulball to start the fourth inning with an out for new Outlaw pitcher Bradshaw. Bradshaw would field a hopper of the middle and throw out the baserunner for the second out.

Kevin Brazil would reach base for Western Home and Auto on an error in the outfield but would be tagged out trying to reach third to end the inning.

Kreul would enter the game as pitcher for Western Home and Auto in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Kreul started the inning with a strikeout and then walked Jake Comer. Western Home and Auto first baseman Brazil would field a blooper rolling down the first base line and tagged out the runner for the second out.

Comer would be tagged out trying to steal third base to end the inning.

The Outlaws would record the only basehit of the night in the first inning when Sirmon connected for a hit to deep center field.

Sirmon would reach second base on a wild pitch but as was the course of the night, he was left stranded as the inning ended.

Both teams dominated defensively and gives Howard County something to look forward to for years to come.

Sirmon and Bradshaw combined for 14 strikeouts and three walks for their combined no-hitter for the Outlaws.

Walker and Kreul combined for eight strikeouts and four walks while Kreul gave up the one hit in their effort for Western Home and Auto.

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