With a 9-0 win at Dawson Springs on Thursday, the Todd County Central High School basketball team put a bow on one of the best regular seasons in program history by capturing its eighth victory in a row.
The Rebels, who hadn’t reached double digits in wins in a single season in a decade, blanked the host Panthers for the second time this season and were victorious for the 22nd time in 31 games overall.
Like it has the past two weeks, Todd Central rode the arms of its pitching to take care of business. Thursday’s triumph was the team’s sixth shutout win since May 15 and gives TCCHS a dozen such victories in 2021. Jameson Hunt (3-1) carried the bulk of the load in the latest gem, striking out five and allowing just two hits in five innings. Jase Hampton and Will Kearns each threw an inning in relief.
Tanner Farmer and Nate Reding did the primary damage at the dish, as Farmer drove in the game’s first run in the first inning, and Reding went 2-for-3 with a run, a walk, and two RBIs. Two-out RBI hits were once again big for the Rebels, with Farmer and Jacob Brandon each delivering clutch run-scoring singles to give Todd Central a 2-0 lead to start the game.
Dawson Springs, which ultimately lost for the third straight game, faced a manageable 4-0 deficit midway through the contest, only to watch the visitors strike for five runs in the top of the fifth to pull away for good.
Hampton drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-0 before Reding’s two-run single to put TCCHS ahead 8-0. Devin Schutt and Preston Rager then delivered consecutive RBI groundouts to round out their team’s scoring effort. Eight different players accounted for 11 total Todd Central hits.
Dylan Dawson went the distance for the Panthers in defeat. He gave up 11 hits and four walks in seven innings. Only three of the nine runs allowed by starting pitcher Dawson were earned, as DSHS racked up five errors. Half of Dawson Springs’ hits were doubles, coming off the bats of Charles Davis and Ethan Jones.
Todd County Central (22-9) doesn’t get much time to rest, as the Rebels will begin play in the 13th District Baseball Tournament at 7:30 p.m. on May 29 against Logan County. All tournament games will be played at Russellville. Todd Central, which is seeking its first regional tournament berth in 17 years, lost to the Cougars 9-1 (April 13) and 8-0 (May 5) earlier this season.
