Bobcats start season with pair of wins over Redmen

PEDRO — Jon Knapp put the Rock Hill Redmen bats to sleep.

Knapp pitched a one-hitter as the Green Bobcats blanked the Redmen 1-0 in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday.

Green came back to win the nightcap 7-5.

Knapp struck out 15, did not walk a batter and threw just 78 pitches with 62 being strikes in throwing his pitching gem.

“Jon was on today. He did everything we needed him to do on the mound and then some,” said Green coach Dave Shoupe.

“Offensively, we came out a little flat during the first game, but we came out swinging in the second game.”

Jarrod Bridges went the distance for the Redmen in taking the tough-luck loss. A freshman, Bridges struck out 10, did not walk a batter and 70 of his 102 pitches were strikes.

Green scored the only run of the game in the third inning on Gabe Blevins’ RBI single.

The Bobcats (2-0) won the second game 7-5 after trailing 5-3 after two innings.

“We got ourselves in a hole, but we battled back. We are proud of all our boys, but Luke Kimbler had a great game for us in his first game as a freshman. We are very pleased with his effort today,” said Shoupe.

Green got two runs in the top of the first inning as Gabe Blevins had an RBI double and Uriah Satterfield singled in a run.

Rock Hill (0-3) got a run in the bottom of the inning but Green got the run back in the top of the second Mason Neal’s RBI double.

The Redmen then rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 5-3 lead. An error led to three runs scoring, and Bridges grounded out driving in the fourth run.

Green got a run in the fourth to trail 5-4 and Knapp got a two-run single in the sixth as the Bobcats took a 6-5 lead.

Green collected 13 hits in the game with Kimbler going 3-3, Neal 2-4 with a double and 2 RBI, Noah McMackin 2-4, Knapp 1-4 with 2 RBI, Blevins 1-3 with a double and RBI, Brennan Renison 1-3 and Kase McIntyre 1-4.

Rock Hill had just three hits as Carson Doolin went 1-4 with a triple and an RBI, Carter Bailey 1-2 and Matthew Porter was 1-3.

First Game

Green 001 000 0 = 1 5 1

Rock Hill 000 000 0 = 0 1 2

Jon Knapp and Noah McMackin. Jarrod Bridges and Austin Simpson. W-Knapp (IP-7.0, H-1, R-0, K-15, BB-0). L-Bridges (IP-7.0, H-5, R-1, ER-1, K-10, BB-0). Hitting–Green Riddick Jenkins 2-3, Gabe Blevins 1-3 RBI, Kase McIntyre 1-3; RH-Braylon McClellan 1-3.

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Second Game

Green 210 102 1 = 7 13 4

Rock Hill 140 000 0 = 5 3 3

Riddick Jenkins, Kase McIntyre (3), Gabe Blevins (6) and Noah McMackin. Braylon McClellan, Austin Simpson (7) and Austin Simpson, Matthew Porter (7). W-McIntyre (IP-2.3, H-1, R-0, ER-0, K-3, BB-1). Jenkins (IP-2.0, H-2, R-5, ER-0, K-2, BB-3). Blevins (IP-1.1, H-0, R-0, ER-0, K-2, BB-0). L-Braylon McClellan (IP-6.0, H-10, R-5, ER-2, K-6, BB-2). Austin Simpson (IP-1.0, H-3, R-2, ER-2, K-0, BB-0). Hitting–Green: Mason Neal 2-4 2-RBI 2B, Riddick Jenkins 1-5 RBI, Gabe Blevins 1-3 RBI 2B, Jon Knapp 1-4 2-RBI, Uriah Satterfield 1-4 RBI, Brennan Renison 1-3, Noah McMackin 2-4, Luke Kimbler 3-3, Kase McIntyre 1-4; RH–Carson Doolin 1-4 RBI 3B, Carter Bailey 1-2, Matthew Porter 1-3.