Despite banging out 13 hits Thursday on the road at Northeast, the Todd County Central Rebels found themselves on the wrong end of a 6-5 score in their second straight loss to Tennessee competition.
Northeast picked up its first win of the season while dropping Todd Central to 1-2. The Rebels will head to Dawson Springs on Friday ahead of two more matchups next week with teams south of the border.
In a preview of what was to come, the Rebels loaded the bases with one out in their first at-bat only to come up empty when a double play ended the inning. Three more singles again loaded the bases in the second, and Todd Central took advantage of a Northeast error to push two runs across for an early lead.
However, a pair of Rebel errors and a bases-loaded walk opened the door for Northeast in the third, and the Eagles surged in front 3-2.
Todd Central tied the game on another Northeast error in the fourth, but the Eagles broke the game open with three runs in the fifth on RBI triples by Isaiah Robinson and Ethan Cramer.
With two out and two on in the sixth, Zack Robinson doubled to drive in a pair of runs and cut the deficit to one, but the inning ended with a strikeout with runners on first and second. The Rebels put the first batter on in their final at-bat, and Devin Schutt’s fourth single of the night again put runners on first and second. But the game ended with Todd Central’s ninth strikeout of the night.
Todd Central starter Conner Wheeler took the loss, working four and a third innings and allowing five runs, two earned, on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Schutt worked two and two-thirds in relief, giving up an earned run on two hits with a walk.
Schutt finished 4/5 at the plate, Robinson had two hits and a pair of RBI, and George Cumbee hit safely twice.
Seven Eagles had a hit each. Aidan Lee pitched three and a third and surrendered three runs, one earned, on eight hits with three walks and a strikeout, and Robinson gave up two earned runs on four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts over three innings.
