In retrospect, Will Baker wishes he wouldn’t have stuck out his glove to try to field a chopper by Shelbyville’s Benny Thompson with two out in the first inning.
Baker, the Columbus North junior pitcher, got just enough of his glove on the ball to slow it down, and shortstop Kyler McIntosh’s throw to first wasn’t in time to get Thompson. That was the only hit Baker allowed in the Class 4A No. 1 Bull Dogs’ 11-1, five inning victory.
“Kyler is a great player and definitely would have made that play,” Baker said. “I definitely should have let that one go. I have full confidence he would have made that play. I could have had a no-hitter.”
Baker, making only his second varsity start, struck out seven and walked two.
“I walked too many people and let them steal too many bases,” Baker said. “But I’m happy with it. I’m glad we won.”
Both of Baker’s walks, and both of the Golden Bears’ steals came in the fourth inning, when they scored their only run, an unearned one.
“I thought Bake pitched well,” North coach Ben McDaniel said. “He’s continued to impress us on the mound. He’s a guy we thought would use a little bit, but we’re going to use him a lot more than what we had planned on. He’s been throwing well. His (velocity) continues to climb. His command continues to improve. I was real happy with his performance tonight.”
North (10-0-1) jumped on Shelbyville freshman Luke Jackson for three runs in the first, four in the second and four in the third. The Bull Dogs took advantage of seven Golden Bears errors.
Hayden McDaniel had an RBI-single in the first. Austin Bode smacked a two-run triple in the third and scored on a triple by Blake Stevens.
Kyler McIntosh went 2 for 2 with a triple, and Bode went 2 for 3 with a triple and two RBIs for North, which pounded out 10 hits. Stevens also had two RBIs.
“It was a good start for us,” Ben McDaniel said. “We’ve seen a lot of those kinds of arms. I was a little bit worried, but we’ve adjusted enough to those to where the guys came out aggressive, and we had great plate approaches and a lot of line drives. I’m happy with the bats tonight.”
