Caldwell County finished its 2023 baseball regular-season schedule on Thursday with a no-hitter against Livingston Central.
Ben Goodaker and Cole Slone combined to keep the Cardinals without a base hit as the Tigers rolled 10-0 in five innings in action at the VFW Ballpark in Princeton.
Goodaker improved to 8-2, going the first four innings on the mound and striking out five while walking one.
Slone retired Livingston in order in the top of the fifth, setting the stage for Caldwell to win it on the 10-run mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Goodaker scored the game-ending run on a steal of home.
On the mound, Goodaker won his 20th career game. Only Shane Burns (31) and Gabe East (24) have more pitching wins at Caldwell County.
Goodaker is just the third Tiger to win as many as eight games in a single season. Burns had 11- and eight-win campaigns in 2016 and 2017 while Joe Villines won eight games in 1974.
Caldwell will carry an 18-10 record into postseason play after beating Livingston for the eighth straight time. The Tigers have taken 19 of the last 20 meetings with the Cardinals.
Caldwell will host the 7th District tournament next week.
Jamus Carneyhan was 3-for-3 at the plate for the Tigers, who used eight base hits and four walks to score their 10 runs.
Hunter Newsom had an RBI single in the first inning while another run scored on an error as Caldwell took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
The Tigers added another run in the third when Carneyhan doubled and later scored on a groundout by Brady Holeman.
Caldwell then seized control of the game with a five-run fourth. Holeman singled home two runs that inning while Livingston miscues helped the Tigers score three other runs in the frame. That made it 8-0.
Two runs in the fifth then ended the game early on the mercy rule. Luke Parker doubled home the ninth run of the game before Goodaker stole home to end the contest.
Carter Whittington went 2-for-3 and scored twice.
Livingston is now 6-15.
Caldwell will be the No. 1 seed for the 7th District baseball and will face Hopkins County Central in a semifinal contest on Monday.
