Sports Editor

BRUNDIDGE – Cottonwood pitcher T.C. Killingsworth allowed only three hits and struck out seven Pike County batters as the Bears defeated the Bulldogs in a six inning contest on Tuesday, 11-1.

Killingsworth allowed just one runner to score for Pike County. Chris Bell reached on error for the Bulldogs in the first inning and came home on a ground ball by D. J. Cannon. Sophomore Chris Nickson, who had two of Pike County’s hits in the contest, followed Bell with a single and advanced as far as third base, but both Elijah and Josh Daniel were retired by the Cottonwood infield to end the bottom of the first.

After holding the Bears hitless in the first, PCHS pitcher Dee Price gave up three straight to start the second as Clay Elliot, Wesley McKnight and Brad Renault all had singles to lead CHS. McKnight’s RBI rip up the middle of the field tied the game at 1-1. The Bears built a 4-1 lead on another RBI single by Marquise Coachman before Price struck out two batters and a Cottonwood base runner was ruled out for initiating contact at home plate.

Price gave up seven hits in the game and struck out five in the loss for Pike County (2-2).

The Bulldogs committed four errors in the third inning, which allowed Cottonwood to build a 6-1 lead. Both Floyd and McKnight got on base courtesy of Pike County defensive miscues and both would reach home plate before Josh Daniel caught Renault between second and third base for the final out of the inning.

Price walked Floyd in the fourth inning, but retired Chris Golden and Keith Turner as well as Elliot when the latter popped out to the mound.

The Bears got two hits in the fifth inning and McKnight came home on a grounder by Ashley McCord. Cottonwood went up 7-1 at that point.

Two more errors by the Bulldogs and a double by Floyd in the sixth put Cottonwood up 11-1. Renault added a double in the inning also, but McCord was struck out by Price and Bolin grounded out to second to end the top of the sixth.

The Bulldogs had a chance to push the game into the seventh inning when Nickson led off with a single down the first base foul line. The sophomore once again made it around the diamond to third with two outs, but Price popped one to second base to end the game.

Nickson was 2-of-3 to lead the Bulldogs at the plate and Josh Daniel had a single also.

Pike County victories early in the season have come over Bullock County (12-2) and Booker T. Washington (7-3). Price picked up the win over BTW, allowing only three hits and striking out 10 batters.

The Bulldogs other loss came at the hands of Zion Chapel.

PCHS plays at Slocomb on Wednesday. Game time is at 4:30 p.m.