Published: May 15, 2008 10:52 am            

Smith’s Colonels drop heartbreaker at home

By Jerry Burns For The Times-Tribune

After winning earlier in the week against Tommy Helton’s Lynn Camp Wildcats, the Whitley County Colonels were hoping the momentum had finally swung in their direction.

But then it didn’t carry over.

In an emotional Senior Night game, seniors Jordan McCumbers, David Lee Hall and Benji Campbell led the way, in what turned into a disappointing 1-0 loss to upstart Clay County.

Determined to go out as a winner during his final home game on the mound, McCumbers held Clay County hitless until the seventh inning. Despite allowing two hits in the loss, he still finished the game with eight strikeouts.

“Jordan was his usual self like every other game he has pitched,” Colonel coach John Smith said. “He had a no-hitter through six and two/thirds of the game. They had a guy hit a slider to center field in the seventh that broke that up. I think he got a little shook up, like anyone would and left a fast ball in the center of plate on the next guy and he got a hit.”

Clay County’s Roy Hobbs rivaled McCumbers outstanding play.

Ted Clifford had the team’s only hit of the game and Whitley County simply found themselves unable to connect with Clifford on base.

“Ted had our only hit,” Smith said. “He took a fast ball on the outside part of the plate and drove it up the middle. That’s something that we were working with him on over the weekend — just trying to keep him off his front foot, and that worked out for him on that one.”

The biggest disappointment of the game was that the Tigers managed to score the winning run without actually hitting the ball.

Whitley County committed three consecutive errors to allow Clay County to bring home the unearned run.

“That’s all the damage done today,” Smith said. “We made three errors and gave them the run. It was not earned. The shortstop made an error and left a guy on and made another error and the runner ended up scoring.

“We just all struck out too much and didn’t put the ball into play enough to make them make the plays,” he added. “Their pitcher pitched a heck of a game also, he was cruising along there. We just didn’t hit it. We didn’t have any runners on base to take advantage of our running game and they came out with the win.”

The Colonels will be back in action on the road against Middlesboro today and against Bell County Friday.



Clay County 1, Whitley County 0

Clay County 001 000 0 1 2 1

Whitley County 000 000 0 0 1 3

WP - Hobbs. LP - McCumbers.

        

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