Paintsville baseball player Luke Stratton just achieved what every pitcher strives for.
The junior right-handed pitcher was perfect on the mound Monday night against Shelby Valley. He threw six shoutout innings, struck out 11 batters, and did not allow a baserunner all night, and he did this only throwing 62 pitches with 51 strikes! He also ended the night with 2 RBI to help lead his team to a 10-0 victory. Stratton has been zoned in on the mound to start the season, he has an 0.72 ERA and has 17 strikeouts in two starts for the Tigers. He has also been clutch at the plate, leading his team with eight RBI off four hits.
Head coach Thomas McCormick had this to say about Luke’s performance,” That performance couldn’t have happened to a better kid. Luke is a fantastic player but an even better teammate/person. He was executing all 3 pitches for strikes at any time vs Valley. I was proud of him for his effort and him giving us a chance to win.”
Stratton had some help from his teammates to secure the victory; Brody Howell finished the game going 3-4 with a 2B and two RBI, and Anderson Lauffer went 1-2 with a 2B, 2 RBI, and scored a run. Lukas Stewart, Shane Blair, and Kenneth Tackett also knocked in a run. Brayden Davis scored 2 runs with one stolen base, and Howell Cruz scored twice with three stolen bases. Colton Short, Parker Crace, and Dixon Kincheloe each scored once as well. The Tigers also finished the night with a total .545 on base percentage.
It was an all-around dominant performance from one of the best teams in the 15th region.
The Paintsville baseball team has been on a roll as of late, winning their last four games after losing their first game of the season to Perry Central. In their four wins, the Tigers have scored 29 total runs while allowing only one run. This is an amazing stat that should not be overlooked, Coach McCormick and his staff have their team locked in both at the plate and on the field. The last two games alone they have won by a total of 19-0!!
Coach McCormick also commented on his teams 4-1 start to the season, “We are off to a decent start. We did not play well in our opening game of the season, but we challenged our guys, and they responded well. I believe we scored 29 runs over the next 4 games. This is a reflection of our team playing for each other. Pitching has done a great job attacking the strike zone, and our defense has been very good with only 3 errors in our first 5 games. Offensively, we just need to continue putting pressure on the defense and make them make plays. We still have some things we need to clean up, but I’m proud of our kids.”
Paintsville faces Lawrence County tomorrow (home), March 26 @ 6pm. Can the Tigers stay hot and extend their win streak to five? Let us know in the comments.
