Freshman Devin Schutt tied the game with an RBI single and then scored on a two-wild pitch for a go-ahead run in Todd County Central’s 8-4 win over Allen County-Scottsville in Elkton.
The Rebels, who were out-hit by the Patriots 8-7, used some timely swings to score twice in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to win their season opener. Schutt, hitting out of the leadoff spot, finished 2-for-4, recorded his team’s lone extra-base hit and racked up a game-high three RBIs.
Jase Hampton (1-0) scattered eight hits and went the distance for Todd Central, striking out six, walking five and surrendering four runs. Hampton, who tied teammate Jacob Brandon for wins by a pitcher (six) on last season’s TCCHS squad, threw 129 pitches in the gutsy decision.
Senior Will Kearns also had a strong night at the plate, finishing 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBIs and a walk. His two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the fifth inning gave the Rebels a 6-3 cushion.
ACS (0-1) was led in the losing effort by Eric Bray (2-for-3, two RBIs), Kalen Coleman (1-for-3, RBI) and Thorny Walker (1-for-1, two runs, two walks). The Patriots took a 2-0 lead in the second inning after Bray and Coleman each delivered two-out RBI singles, but Schutt would answer for Todd Central with a two-out, two-run double in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 2-all.
Bray came up big again in the fourth inning with another two-out RBI poke, but that’s as close as Allen County-Scottsville would be the rest of the way. An RBI single from Tanner Farmer and a run by Preston Rager on a wild pitch in the sixth served as insurance runs in the four-run triumph.
The win was No. 732 for Todd County Central High School head coach Greg Shelton, who began his 32nd season in the dugout Tuesday. He’s won 72% of his games during a hall-of-fame career.
