Rose Bud pitchers Nik Adcock and Bill Wilson only allowed two hits and struck out a combined 15 batters as the Ramblers rolled to a 5-1 victory over the Quitman Bulldogs on a cold, windy Monday evening at the Quitman Sports Complex.
Leading 4-1, Wilson relieved Adcock to begin the bottom of the fifth and retired all nine hitters he faced to close out the game. “He [Wilson] is a senior and has been starting all these years so I am pretty confident in him,” said Rambler Coach Scott Moore. “Adcock did a really good job too. He is a ninth grader and he struggled just a little bit but he settled down and did a really good job and he hit the ball really well too.”
Both teams had to battle a strong wind directed toward right field. “The conditions made it difficult for both teams. It was windy when we first started and it got a little bit cooler throughout the game. I was proud of the way we played,” said Moore.
Quitman Coach David Johnson was pleased with his team’s intensity in their first game of the young season. “This weather was pretty tough to play in but I thought the boys did real well for the first game considering how little we’ve been able to practice. Coming out and playing against a team that has already played, I think we did real well. We just need some more at-bats and see some more pitching. We are going to improve at the plate. I am real proud of their enthusiasm tonight.”
Quitman starting pitcher Tim Smith struck out the first batter of the game then he got Nick Cartwright to fly-out to Hunter Martin in right field. Bill Wilson roped a two-out double into the right field corner and Adcock drove him home with an RBI double down the third base line, giving Rose Bud a 1-0 advantage.
After issuing a free pass to C.J. Farris, Quitman catcher Sawyer Johnson threw out courtesy runner Jeff Mix trying to steal third for the third out in the top of the first.
Adcock fanned the first two Quitman batters he faced in the bottom half but Johnny Green slapped a single to right field before Justin Wilson made a nice play from shortstop on a bad-hop grounder off the bat of Tyler Stovall, ending the first inning.
Andrew Maier belted a ground-rule double that bounced over the center field wall to begin the second but Smith fired back with three consecutive strikeouts. In the bottom of the second, the Bulldogs tied the game without a hit as Parker Ring, Sawyer Johnson and Matt McCrary all drew walks. With one down, Sawyer New worked an RBI walk that scored Ring as Quitman tied it up before Smith lined out to Justin Wilson at shortstop and he doubled Johnson off third, ending the frame.
The Ramblers reclaimed the lead in the top of the third as Justin Wilson drew a full-count walk before Aaron Parker made a tremendous diving grab to his right from shortstop, robbing Cartwright of a base hit. After Wilson popped out to Parker in short left field, Adcock lifted a high fly down the left field line that fell in for an RBI single, which scored Justin Wilson. Farris, a lefty, smacked a single to left field but Smith caught the next batter looking, ending the top half.
Adcock struck out the side in the bottom of the third then Rose Bud tacked on two insurance runs. Cody Smith beat out an infield single to get the Ramblers started and he took second on a wild pickoff attempt before Tanner Adcock drilled a 2-run homerun over the center field wall, pushing Rose Bud’s lead to 4-1.
Smith fired back with a strikeout but Justin Wilson drew a 4-pitch walk and stole second before Cartwright slapped a single to the right side, where McCrary saved a run with a diving stop from his second base position. Cartwright moved to second on a wild pitch but Smith fanned the next two batters, leaving two Ramblers stranded in scoring position.
Ring slammed a long single off the center field fence to start the bottom of the fourth but Adcock struck out the next two batters before McCrary drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. New followed with another free pass but Adcock used a high heater for a strike out on a full-count, ending the Bulldogs’ threat.
Parker relieved Smith to start the top of the fifth and pitched a scoreless frame despite Farris reaching on an error to begin the inning. Parker helped himself get out of the jam by striking out the final two batters, leaving a runner stranded at third.
Bill Wilson relieved Adcock to begin the bottom of the fifth and fanned the first two Bulldogs he faced then catcher Joe Dalrymple fielded a chopper next to the plate and threw out Green as Quitman went down in order.
Pinch-hitter Brett Caples led off the sixth with a walk then Justin Wilson lifted a single to short center field before Cartwright flied out to Smith in center. Bill Wilson worked a free pass to load the sacks but Parker fired back with a strikeout. With two out, Farris drew a 4-pitch RBI walk that scored Caples, pushing the Ramblers’ lead to 5-1.
Quitman avoided further damage when Green ran down a ball in the gap from his left field position, leaving the bases loaded.
Wilson sandwiched two strikeouts between a long fly-out to Cartwright in right field off the bat of Ring as the Bulldogs went down in order for the second straight inning.
Cody Smith laced a double down the third base line to begin the top of the seventh but Parker got Tanner Adcock to pop out to Trey Watson at second. Johnson gunned down Smith trying to swipe third on a questionable call then Parker got Caples to groundout to Watson at second.
Down to its final three cracks, Wilson retired the Bulldogs in order for the third inning in a row. He got help from younger brother Justin Wilson, who made a nice backhand in the hole to get Johnson on a grounder to the left side.
Bill Wilson fanned the next two Quitman batters as the Ramblers claimed a 5-1 victory, which improved their record to 2-1 for the season.
For Rose Bud, Nik Adcock finished 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and Smith was 2-for-4 with a run scored while Tanner Adcock was 1-for-4 with a two-run homerun. Justin Wilson, Bill Wilson, Farris, Maier and Caples also had base knocks for the Ramblers. Nik Adcock struck out nine batters through four innings for the win on the mound and Wilson fanned six through three frames.
Ring finished 1-for-3 for Quitman with a run scored while Green also had a base hit. New recorded the Bulldogs’ only RBI.
On Monday, Quitman hosts West Side and Rose Bud travels to Riverview for a 2-3A Conference game.
Quitman, Ark. —
