The Colleton County Cougar Baseball team participated in the Woodland High School Wood Bat Classic this past weekend. The Cougars earned a 5-0 win over Northwoods Academy Saturday morning, then tied East Clarendon 1-1 Sunday afternoon.
“Our pitching was phenomenal against Northwoods,” said Coach Jermale Paige. “Warren Hunter and Trey Nettles threw a combined no-hitter. Anytime a no-hitter is thrown, it’s a special game. It’s a difficult feat to accomplish at any level. Hunter had eight strikeouts, and Nettles had three. The guys played great defense behind their pitchers. I couldn’t have asked for a more solid performance.
“Offensively, Trey Nettles had a single and scored a run in the contest,” said Paige. “Ryan Nettles had an RBI single and Jackson Bell roped a double down the line scoring Ben Kennedy. Joshua Caldwell did his job by hitting into a fielder’s choice, resulting in an RBI and another run scored due to a throwing error.”
Due to tournament rules, Sunday’s game against East Clarendon ended in a 1-1 tie.
“I was proud of the way the guys played,” said Paige. “They had high energy from the first to the last pitch. If we keep that energy, we’re going to compete in every game. Ryan Nettles shoved on the mound only giving up one run in five innings of work. Eddie Bennett came in and shut the door for the final two innings.
“East Clarendon scored first in the top of the fourth inning,” said Paige. “We scratched a run on a Ben Kennedy single following a bunt by Grayson Cromer which moved Kennedy up to second base. Kennedy stole third and scored on a passed ball by the catcher. Trey Nettles and Ben Kennedy had two singles a piece.”
The Cougars were set to host their first preseason tournament at the ACE Basin Sports Complex and Cougar Field on Monday March 2 against Oceanside; Wednesday March 4 versus Beaufort at 7:15 p.m. (Cougar Field); and Saturday March 7 against Battery Creek (ACE Basin Complex) at 10 a.m.
