Scott Central routs Rebels

SIKESTON - The Scott County Central Braves baseball team defeated the visiting Richland Rebels on Friday afternoon, 9-1.

Scott Central braved the elements that included wind gusts up to 30-35 m.p.h. for much of the contest and picked up their first home win of the year.

Starting pitcher Mark Freed of the Braves was the hero on the mound, as well as at the plate. Freed got the complete game win for Scott Central and allowed only one run on five hits, walked three and struck out nine.

At the plate, Freed went 1-for-2 with three runs driven in, was on base three times and stole two bases for the Braves.

The Braves opened the scoring in the contest in the bottom of the first inning. Toby Heeb led off the game with a single and got into scoring position by stealing second base. With one out in the inning, Freed drove in Heeb with a groundout. After one, Scott Central led 1-0.

Richland (1-5) responded in the top of the second as Justin Wamble drove in Corey Dix with an RBI single. Dix had opened the inning with a single and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. The score was tied 1-1 heading into the bottom of the second.

The bottom of the Braves lineup ignited a big second inning for Scott Central. Ryan McCoy, Rashad Brown and Seth Griffin hit three consecutive singles and Griffin drove in McCoy with his hit.

With two outs in the second, Freed hit a solid single to right field that drove in two runs for the Braves. Scott Central scored four runs in the inning and led 5-1 heading into the third inning.

Freed settled down after a rocky start to the contest. In the first two innings, Freed allowed three hits. Over the next five innings, Freed limited the Rebels to only two hits and struck out four straight, including the side in the fifth inning.

Richland starting pitcher Zach Cain did his best to keep the Rebels close in the game. Cain allowed five of Scott Central's six hits in the first two innings. The Braves scored four runs over the next four innings on only one hit. Four walks, two errors and a couple of wild pitches haunted Cain down the stretch.

Cain struck out six straight Scott Central hitters midway through the contest and ended the game with 12 strike outs. The Braves scored a run in the fourth inning on a wild pitch, scored an unearned run in the fifth and got another run off a wild pitch in the sixth.

Dix led Richland with two hits. Cain and Landon Miller had a hit and stolen base apiece for the Rebels. Chad Tilley stole two bases on the Braves.

Caleb Johnson had a double and scored a run for Scott Central. D.D. Gillespie had three walks and scored three runs for the Braves.

Scott Central (2-4) travels to Bernie on Tuesday and will take on the Mules at 4 p.m.

Scott Central 9, Richland 1

WP - Mark Freed. LP - Zach Cain

2B - Caleb Johnson (S). Multiple hitters - Richland: Corey Dix 2-3. Records - Scott Central 2-4. Richland 1-5.