In a game that took just under an hour and twenty minutes, the North Lamar Panthers opened district play with a 6-0 win over Pittsburg. In front of the home crowd, senior Cole Fendley dominated the Pirate offense on the mound.
“The number one thing we want to do is throw our breaking ball for strikes, and he threw his breaking ball for strikes,” head coach Bric Steed said after the game. “He did the things we want to see in our pitchers. That’s get the thing over the white. Throw breakers for strikes. He was phenomenal.”
Fendley pitched all seven innings for the Panthers. He struck out 15 batters. He only allowed four hits and didn’t allow a walk.
“I just went at them one at a time,” Fendley said after the game.
For the first couple of innings, North Lamar’s offense struggled against Pittsburg’s pitching as well. It wasn’t until the third inning that they were able to break through. Zack Neilson became the first player from either side to get a hit.
With one out in the bottom of the third, Nielson lined a pitch up the middle to get on base. Fendley followed that up with a double to right field. Jaxon Spangler got an RBI on a ground out to first base. Corbin Blease’s single plated another run for North Lamar.
That set the stage for Matthew Sandlin. The first pitch Sandlin saw from Drew Lawton was deposited over the left field fence for a two-run homer.
Just like that, the Panthers enjoyed a 4-0 lead, which was more than enough for Fendley on the mound.
“Their pitcher did a good job. Give him credit,” Steed said. “We took what the game gave us. We didn’t try to do too much. We hit ground balls to the right side to move the runners. We got the couple of home runs that put it away for us. But the offense was getting on base and creating havoc to get those first two runs.”
The second home run came in the bottom of the fifth inning. Once again Blease singled to get on base. Once again, Sandlin took the first pitch he saw from Lawton and put it over the left field fence.
“I’m glad to get this season started off against Pittsburg at our brand new home field,” Sandlin said, referencing some of the renovations made to POS Long Field. “The ball looked like a beach ball today.”
North Lamar is now 1-0 in district and will host Liberty Eylau on Friday night before going on the road for two games next week.
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