West Side pitchers Brett McElroy and Brody Verser combined for a no-hitter on Tuesday, leading the Eagles to a 4-0 shutout of Quitman in their season opener at Greers Ferry City Park.
McElroy fanned five Bulldog batters through three innings and Verser struck out six in the final four frames while not allowing a base runner. The two pitchers only allowed two base runners the entire game, one when McElroy plunked a hitter and one via error, which was the Eagles’ only defensive mistake of the game.
“We had solid pitching but we didn’t hit the ball all that well,” said Eagle Coach Sam Tyler. “But it was the first game so hopefully we didn’t have out best cuts.”
The Bulldogs committed four errors, helping the Eagles’ offense, which only churned out five hits. Josh Bittle got West Side’s first hit of the season and scored on a hot shot to third off the bat of Verser in the bottom of the first.
Andrew Passmore reached by error and scored in the second frame, giving the Eagles a two-run cushion. Andrew Harness singled and scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of Wesley Brown in the fourth inning.
With a 3-0 lead entering the bottom of the sixth, Verser reached on an error then Luke Brown came on to pinch-run and stole second and third.
Hunter Wolfe knocked home Brown with an RBI groundout as the Eagles cruised to a 4-0 victory.
West Side was scheduled to play at Rose Bud on Thursday and the Eagles host Shirley on Friday before taking off for a weekend round robin at Arkansas Baptist in Little Rock on Saturday, where they will face Conway Christian and the host. Quitman is off until Monday, when West Side visits for a rematch.
Greers Ferry, Ark. —
