Bobcats edge past Titans in pitching battle; stay atop SOC standings

FRANKLIN FURNACE — It was a classic pitchers’ battle.

Green Bobcats’ Jon Knapp and Portsmouth Notre Dame Titans’ Bryce McGraw were matching pitches, but it was Knapp who came away with the upper hand as Green nipped Notre Dame 2-1 on Monday in a Southern Ohio Conference-1 game.

Knapp struck out 13 and walked 4 as he fashioned a 4-hitter. The one run was earned and he threw 77 strikes among his 117 pitches.

McGraw pitched well in defeat. He gave up just 6 hits, 2 earned runs, struck out 6 and walked only 2. He threw 95 pitches of which 64 were strikes.

Notre Dame (10-7, 3-3) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Sawyer Rutman walked and Luke Cassidy belted a one-out triple.

Green (15-2, 5-1) came back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning.

With one out, Riddick Jenkins singled, stole second, went to third on a hit by Gabe Blevins and scored on Knapp’s sacrifice fly.

The Bobcats got the winning run in the third inning in almost a repeat of the first inning.

Jenkins singled, stole second, took third on a hit by Blevins and scored on a sacrifice fly by Noah McMackin.

Jenkins and Blevins each went 2-3 for the Bobcats with Knapp 1-2 with a double and an RBI and McMackin 1-2 with an RBI.

Cassidy was 1-3 with a triple and an RBI, Luke Hamilton 1-1, Rutman 1-2 and Jason Stombock 1-3.

Notre Dame 100 000 0 = 1 4 0

Green 101 000 x = 2 6 1

Bryce McGraw and Carter Ingles. Jon Knapp and Noah McMackin. W-Knapp (IP-7.0, H-4, R-1, ER-1, K-13, BB-4). L-McGraw (IP-6.0, H-6, R-2, ER-2, K-6, BB-2). Hitting–Notre Dame: Sawyer Rutman 1-2, Luke Cassidy 1-3 3B RBI, Jason Stombock 1-3, Luke Hamilton 1-1; Green: Riddick Jenkins 2-3, Gabe Blevins 2-3, Jon Knapp 1-2 2B RBI, Noah McMackin 1-2 RBI.