SPENCERVILLE – Friday night belonged to Spencerville senior Cody Bockey as he struck out 14 batters and allowed just a single hit in a 14-3 non-league victory over visiting New Knoxville.
Making his first start of the season Bockey struck out the first batter of the game he faced and allowed just a trio of base runners through his first two trips to the mound.
Leading 4-0 in the game after the first Spencerville turn with the bats courtesy of three singles, a walk, six stolen bases and a trio of Ranger errors the Bearcats sent eight to the plate in the opening frame.
Bockey’s lone early run allowed came in the top of the second inning on back to back walks to Ryan Osbourne and Grant Temple. After a pair of wild pitches to Temple the Rangers pushed across their first run on an errant throw to third that landed in left field to cut the deficit to 4-1.
Facing a 22 mile per hour wind blowing out to left field the host Bearcats scored five runs in the second and third inning thanks to a walk, three singles and a double by shortstop Jack Cox to up their advantage to 9-1 heading into the fourth.
While his teammates were feeling their bats heat up Bockey was doing his part to ice the New Knoxville bats as he struck out every batter he faced from the third to the first two outs of the fifth after allowing the run to Osbourne, a span of 12 batters. Only Osbourne reached base for his team in the aforementioned span as he advanced to first base on a dropped third strike.
New Knoxville’s Brandon Smith exited the game after three innings of work that saw him allow nine runs and be forced to hand the ball to Osbourne.
Spencerville’s offense continued to be as hot against Osbourne in the fourth as they had been the previous three and sent ten batters to the plate. Five singles and a pair of doubles by Cody Bockey and Tyler Koenig as well as a 2-RBI single by Hayden Haman would push the home advantage to 14-1 into the top of the fifth frame.
Substitute Reid Thomas and fellow outfielder Parker Banner opened the last at bat for the Rangers by striking out against Bockey who had still yet to surrender a hit.
Unfortunately for the Bearcat right hander two baserunners found their way to the base paths after being hit by pitches. New Knoxville senior Patrick Covert singled in the runners with his squads lone hit of the game to trim the lead to 14-3 but was caught in a rundown and tagged out near third base to bring the contest to a close.
New Knoxville falls to 1-7 on the season and will travel on Saturday to Franklin Monroe for an afternoon doubleheader while Spencerville 2-5) will look for their third straight win on Monday evening as they battle NWC foe Paulding.
WP: Cody Bockey – 5IP, 3R, 1H, 14K, 2BB, 2HBP
LP: Brandon Smith – 3IP, 9R, 8H, 2K, 2BB