(April 4th, 2015) – CONTINENTAL: The contest was never in doubt, as the Panther boys controlled their game against Continental from the first inning to the last. Spreading their scoring throughout the afternoon, a balanced Stryker attack proved to be more than the Pirates could handle.
After opening the game with 2 runs in the first inning, the Stryker defense took over. Continental remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth, where they scored their lone run of the contest. Meanwhile, the Panthers stockpiled runs in all but two innings of play.
The boys of Stryker added another run to their collection in the top of the third. Then, they saw 3 of their runners step over home plate in the fourth inning. A pair of runs were tallied in the Panthers’ favor during the fifth, and they added another trio of runs in the game’s final inning. Overall, they had little trouble securing the 10 run victory over their hosts.
Parker Ruffer had a big day for Stryker. The senior hit for 2 doubles, driving in 3 RBIs. Brody Shock also earned an RBI, as the sophomore used his speed to get a triple. Chad Ruffer and Colten Benson each contributed an RBI as well, with the former hitting for a pair of double, and the latter connecting with the ball for 2 singles.
Shock also had a huge outing on the mound, as the young pitcher faced down Pirate batters for 6 innings. Giving up just 1 earned run off of a meager 4 hits, the sophomore displayed great control on his pitches. He walked just a single Continental hitter, while striking out 8 others. Chad Ruffer came in to close out the game.
