PCHS BASEBALL: Panthers Extend Winning Streak to Four

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ In a game when runs were hard to come by, Goreville's baseball team stranded 12 baserunners including the bases loaded once and two runners on base four other times Wednesday.

While the Blackcats struggled to produce that clutch hit, Pinckneyville managed to stroke a few key hits that led to a 4-2 non-conference victory backed by a solid pitching peformance from Garrick Hale.

Meanwhile, the Panthers spoiled a strong effort by Nick Andros by scratching out runs against the sophomore lefthander.

Andros worked into the seventh inning for the first time this season before Alex Stout relieved him to get the final out. The lefty allowed four runs on seven hits with 11 strikeouts, four walks and one hit batsman.

Hale, on the other hand, scattered eight hits in 6 1-3 innings while surrendering one earned run with five strikeouts, four walks and one hit batsman.

Bryant Shute closed out the game to earn the save, retiring the only two batters he faced with the tying runs on base.

"Garrick is someone who threw all of seven innings for us last year," Pinckneyville head coach Alan Engelhardt said. "So he's learning how to pitch. The last two games he has done a heck of a job and given us a chance to win."

Goreville broke through first when Stefan Messmer walked and Lee Sopczak legged out an infield single with one out in the second inning. Then No. 9 hitter Cody Smith delivered an RBI double to left-center field that made it 1-0.

Pinckneyville got that run back in the third as Brandon Long ripped a two-out double and scored on Christian Shopinski's RBI single to center field.

Back came the Panthers in the fourth with what turned out to be the eventual game-winning hit.

Andros walked Hale, allowed a single to Adam Barczewski and plunked Jeff Thornton to load the bases for Shute, who lofted a two-run single down the left-field line for a 3-2 advantage.

"That was a heck of a pitcher we were facing today," Engelhardt said. "Whenever you get in a situation where you're battling against a good pitcher, some times you just have to find a way to scratch out a run."

Pinckneyville added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Drew Dudek walked, stole second base and later scored on Michael Rakers' run-scoring single to right field for a two-run cushion.

PCHS (9-9) hosts Sparta Friday and has won four straight games.

PCHS 4, Goreville 2

PCHS 001 200 1-4 7 1

G'ville 011 000 0-2 8 0

Hale and Barczewski. Andros, Stout (7) and Shadowens. WP-Hale, 2-1. LP-Andros. SV-Shute, 2. TOP HITTERS-PCHS: Shopinski 1-3 (RBI) , Hale 1-2 ( RBI), Shute 2-3 (2 RBI), Long 1-3, Rakers 1-4, Barczewski 1-3.