Preston Rager and Jase Hampton combined to throw a shutout and came out on the winning end of an epic pitchers duel Tuesday, as the Todd County Central High School baseball team edged host Franklin-Simpson by a count of 1-0.
The Rebels, who captured their fourth straight victory overall, scored a two-out run in the top of the third inning, on one of three Wildcat errors, and then relied on the arms of Rager and Hampton to do the rest.
Rager (3-2) struck out five in five innings, scattering a pair of hits and walking two to get his third win of the year. In the bottom of the sixth, Hampton plunked a pair of FSHS batters, but got out of the jam by striking out Hayden Satterly to keep Todd Central up a run.
Franklin-Simpson, which had won three games in a row prior to Tuesday’s contest, put two more runners on base with a pair of singles in the seventh, but Hampton induced a ground ball out to clinch the triumph for the Rebels. The Wildcats ended up out-hitting TCCHS 4-3, but never found the big hit.
Rager, Jacob Brandon and Will Kearns each had a hit — all singles — in the win. Nate Reding, who walked and reached base twice, stole a pair of bases. All four Franklin-Simpson hits were also one-baggers.
Wildcats starting pitcher Dalton Fiveash (2-3) was the tough-luck loser. He struck out 15 in the complete-game effort, allowing just three hits and the unearned run. He only issued one free pass and threw 71 strikes on 93 pitches.
Todd County Central (11-5) will try for its fifth straight victory when the Rebels host Trigg County on April 20 in Elkton.
