(June 11th, 2015) – PATRICK HENRY: In an impressive display, Blackbird pitcher Christian Barhite guided his Pettisville squad to victory against a tough Patrick Henry team. The senior-to-be pitched for 7 innings of the 9 inning affair, amassing 12 strikeouts in the win over the Patriots.
Pettisville made the trip to Henry County a successful one, topping Patrick Henry 9-5.
The Blackbirds were first to strike, earning a run in the top of the first. Not wasting any time, Patrick Henry responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning. A trio of runs in the top of the third inning put Pettisville ahead 4-1 a third of the way through the contest.
They would never look back.
With 2 more runs in the top of the fifth, the boys of Fulton County expanded their advantage to 5 runs. They would tack on another run in the sixth to claim a 7-1 lead. Their run in the seventh was finally rebutted, as the Patriots knocked in 2 runs of their own in the beginnings of a rally attempt. A run in the bottom of the eighth helped the Patrick Henry cause as well, leaving them in an 8-4 deficit with only the final inning left to play.
Pettisville once again added a degree of separation between themselves and the hometown boys. Scoring a run in the top of the ninth left the Blackbird defense with a 5 run lead to maintain. Patrick Henry was able to chip away at that advantage a bit, but Pettisville held firm, taking the 4 run victory.
Not only did Barhite retire 12 batters without allowing them to leave the plate, but he kept those he allowed on base away from home as well, with none of the three runs scored under his watch being earned. He also only allowed 3 hits and 2 walks during his tenure on the mound.
The pitcher also put in some work in the batter’s box, as Barhite went 2 for 4 with his bat as well. Rising sophomore Justin Rupp also made the most out of 2 of his 4 attempts at the plate. Preston Stevens went 1 for 4 swinging the bat, accounting for the last of Pettisville’s 5 hits in the win.