Despite the fact that the heavy rains of the days before Saturday had turned the outfield into a quagmire, the Cougars were able to sneak in a couple of games Saturday afternoon against a team from Southport, Indiana.

Southport, a school near Indianapolis, had been scheduled to play in a tournament which had later been cancelled. The coach called around down here and had scheduled games with both Ohio and Grayson counties. The games at Ohio County on Friday were rained out, but the Cougars were able to get the field playable for Saturday’s games.

In the first game, the visiting Cardinals took advantage of two errors to score three unearned runs in their 5-2 victory. In the second game, the Cougars pounded out 11 hits to score 11 runs in their 11-4 win.

GAME ONE

Cougar senior right-hander Jordan White deserved a better fate after pitching superbly for seven innings. White gave up just four hits, walked two and struck out 13 on the day, but was undone by a pair of errors that cost him three early runs.

In the first, White struck out leadoff hitter Austin Young, but catcher Adrian Board dropped the pitch. Board took his time with the throw down to first, but the ball still sailed high over the head of first-baseman Tyler Saltsman and Young cruised into second on the error.

One out later, third-baseman Cameron Perkins sent a ground ball up the middle for the Cardinals’ first hit to drive in Young to make it 1-0.

The Cougars tied it at 1-1 in their half of the first. Leadoff hitter Sean Embry reached on an error, went to third on a single by White, then scored on a wild pitch from Cardinal starter Chris Drullinger.

Grayson County took a short-lived lead in the bottom of the second. With one out, designated-hitter Tristan Willis doubled off the fence in right. He reached third on a passed ball before Board was walked. When Board stole second, Willis scored when Cardinal catcher Zach Pease’s throw went into centerfield.

The Cardinals then went ahead to stay with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the third. Young singled with one out, then Jarrod Ridner singled up the middle after two were out. Perkins then sent a ball into the gap in right-center that Embry appeared to have in his sights for the third out, but the ball ticked out of his glove for an error and both runners scored. Embry was able to get the ball back to the infield and the relay got Perkins at third for the final out.

The Cardinals scored their only earned runs off White in the sixth. Second-baseman Kevin Entwistle walked leading off before Ridner ripped a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right-field for a two-run homer.

Drullinger was in complete control after giving up the two unearned Cougar runs. He allowed just three hits in the game and struck out six in his six innings of work. Entwistle relieved in the bottom of the seventh and retired the Cougars 1-2-3 to pick up the save.

GAME TWO

Saltsman had his second straight strong pitching outing to pick up the win for the Cougars. Saltsman pitched six innings, giving up two runs on six hits. He walked four and struck out eight.

Senior Greg Rainey relieved Saltsman in the seventh and gave up a pair of runs on two hits and an error before striking out Drullinger for the final out of the game.

Embry put the Cougars ahead in the bottom of the first by hitting the first pitch he saw from starter and loser Kenton Armbruster on a line over the fence in left for a home run.

White followed with a line-drive down the line in right that went for a double. White went to third on a ground out by Saltsman, then scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.

The Cardinals tied it up in the third after two were out. Ridner walked leading off. Perkins followed with a shot to center that just missed leaving the park. Instead it hit the top of the fence for a triple that drove in Ridner to make it 2-1.

Third-baseman Austin Kimbrew then hit a major-league pop-up behind second base. Eighth-grade second-baseman Brady Clemons began calling for the ball, but at the last minute was called off the play by one of the outfielders. Neither Embry in center, nor Alphonso Soto in right was able to get a glove on the ball and it fell for a double as Perkins scored to tie the game.

Grayson County went ahead to stay with a single run in the third. White doubled with one out and Saltsman walked. Soto then loaded the bases with a little dunker to center. Rainey followed by hitting a ball to deep center for the second out, but White was able to trot home with the run that made it 3-2.

The Cougars added another run in the fourth without the benefit of a basehit. Willis walked leading off, stole second, went to third on a passed ball, then scored on a wild pitch.

The Cougars then chased Armbruster in the fifth, sending 10 men to the plate and scoring six times. White led off with another double, his third of the game. Saltsman beat out a little roller to third for an infield hit.

Soto followed with a line drive down the line in left that plated White and put runners at second and third on the double. Rainey followed with a single in the hole to drive in Saltsman and move Soto to third.

Scott followed with another single that drove in Soto and sent Rainey to third and ended the day for Armbruster. He was replaced on the mound by Shawn Gibson, who promptly hit Willis to load the bases.

After McCubbin struck out for the second out, Embry sent a ball to the fence in right field that went for a bases-clearing triple that made it 10-2.

Grayson County threatened to end the game by the 10-run rule in the sixth inning, but came up just short. Soto walked with one out, went to second on a wild pitch, then was moved to third on a ground out by Rainey.

Scott then singled to drive in Soto to make it 11-2. The Cougars later loaded the bases, but McCubbin struck out again to end the threat.

Rainey entered in relief in the seventh inning and ran into trouble immediately. A leadoff single, a double and a one-out walk loaded the bases. Kimbrew then rolled a ball to short, but Scott’s throw was wild and a run scored.

Kimbrew was caught in a rundown before being tagged out for the second out, but another run came in. Rainey then struck out Drullinger looking to end the game.

The Cougars will be on the road through the weekend, playing four games in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, before returning next week for home games against Elizabethtown, on Monday, and Edmonson County, on Tuesday.