Colonel Loss

The Whitley County Colonels led the 19th ranked Rockcastle County Rockets 3-0 heading into the top of the third inning after scoring runs in the first two frames but four walks in the top of the third proved to be the difference in a 5-4 win by the Rockets Monday at Whitley County High School.
The Colonels (16-6) scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the opening inning when senior centerfielder Jeremy Taylor smacked a triple to open the Colonels’ half of the inning.
He scored when Adam Prewitt hit into an error at first. Prewitt was left stranded when Matt Strickland, Ryan Fox and Michael Schrenker went down in order.
In the second, the Colonels added two runs against Rockcastle’s number two pitcher, Ronny McClure. Senior John Nelson hit a one-out single and was followed by junior Paul Johnson with a single. The two scored on a two-out single by Taylor for a 3-0 lead.
Junior Derek Shelley had held his own against the hard-hitting Rockets in the first two innings on the mound but got in trouble in the top of the third when Aaron Cash, Nick Williams and Colby Brown all had singles. Shelley got McClure to pop out but issued walks to Ben Graves, Izak McQuerry and Rick Sandusky that led to a 3-3 tie. He got Phil Borieng on a fielder’s choice for the second out as Graves crossed the plate for a 4-3 lead.
Shelley walked Dakota Smith and reloaded the bases.
Whitley County coach John Smith stopped the rally when he sent freshman Jordan McCumbers to the mound. McCumbers got Cash to fly out to Taylor in center field to end the inning.
McCumbers did the job on the Rockets until the top of the seventh when they added their game winning run. And, that came on an unearned run when Graves reached base on an infield error.
With Graves at third and McQuerry, who McCumbers walked at first and Matt Strickland now on the mound, McQuerry took off first first and got in a rundown. Graves also broke for home and scored what would be the winning run.
The Colonels refused to quit and rallied in the home half of the seventh. Taylor hit his second long ball of the game, a triple down the leftfield line. Prewitt was hit by a pitch and the winning run was at the plate in the form of Strickland. Strickland was robbed on a long hit to leftfield by Williams, who made a catch on the ground. Taylor scored on the play and Adam Adkins, running for Prewitt went to second.
However he was left stranded when Fox popped out to third to end the contest.
•The Colonels split a pair of games Saturday with Middlesboro. Whitley County won a 3-2 thriller in the first contest in nine innings but lost the second game, 12-2 in five innings.
In the opener, Taylor was pretty much the star of the game. He limited the Yellow Jackets to two runs on two hits and scored two runs in the victory.
Middlesboro scored in the top of the fifth to break open the scoreless game. But the Colonels answered in the bottom of the inning when Taylor walked and scored on a Matt Strickland base hit.
In the ninth, the Jackets scored once again for a 2-1 lead. However in the bottom of the inning Shawn Rowe was hit by a pitch then stole second. Taylor laid down a successful bunt.
Prewitt followed with a single to tie the game at 2-2. Middlesboro loaded the bases when Strickland was hit by a pitch. Fox got the winning RBI on a sacrifice fly to rightfield.
•The Colonels will be on the road for five straight games. They will take on Middlesboro Thursday before playing a double header in Hazard Saturday. They will play at Perry Central at 1 p.m. and at Hazard at 3:30 p.m.
Monday they will travel to Pulaski County and Tuesday will be at South Laurel before returning home the 19th to face the Clay County Tigers.

Rockcastle 004 000 1- 5 9 1
Whitley Co. 120 000 1- 4 6 1
McClure and McQuerry. Shelley, McCumbers (3), Stickland (7) and Bowman. WP-McClure, LP-Shelley. 2B-Strickland (WC), Graves (RC). 3B-Taylor (WC), 2. LOB-RC 6, WC 7.

Middlesboro 000 010 001- 2 2 2
Whitley Co. 000 010 002- 3 8 2
Earls and Frady. Taylor and Bowman. WP-Taylor, LP-Earls.

Middlesboro 223 05- 12 11
Whitley Co. 000 20- 2 5
Barnett and Frady. Adkins, McCumbers and Bowman. WP-Barnett, LP-Adkins.