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Tomcats shutout Falcons

NICK BROCKMAN
Special to The Messenger

GLOUSTER - Last year Taylor Russell served as a spot relief pitcher, but Thursday night the converted reliever showed he can go the distance.

Russell started off the Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division schedule and tossed his first career complete-game shutout as the Trimble Tomcats defeated the Miller Falcons 5-0 for the team's first victory of the season.

Despite the slick field conditions Trimble coach Phil Faires said he felt Russell could work the full game.

"Really, I did," Faires said. "He doesn't throw hard and he can throw every inning. I really thought he would throw the whole way. He's a gamer. He's probably the only guy I got out there that I was confident that could throw strikes in this."

The Tomcat defense helped Russell escape multiple jams as the Falcons left eight total runners on base. Up just 2-0 in the top of the third inning Miller threatened with runners on first and second with one out. Falcon Troy Moore hit a ball sharply to shortstop Isaac Standley who began the 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.

Standley flashed his defensive skills once again in the fifth inning to help his team thwart another Falcon rally.

With two outs and runners on first and third, Miller batter Ryan Estep slapped a grounder at the shortstop. Standley smothered the ball and alertly crawled to second base to tag the base with his glove for the force out.

Faires said he was proud of Standley's glove work considering his short time on the field.

"That was great," Faires said. "It's his first year playing baseball so he did a pretty good job."

While Standley and the Tomcats displayed their defense and Russell shutdown the opposition on the mound, Trimble scored runs in each of its first three at- bats. Trimble's big inning came in third. The Tomcats scored three runs to jump ahead 5-0, ultimately the final score.

Although Trimble scored five times, Miller actually out-hit the Tomcats 6-5.

Miller coach John Patterson said his team did not string together enough hits in timely situations to erase the deficit.

"We needed that one swing to break open the inning, and we had some base running errors," Patterson said. "At least it's something you can work on and kind of go from there."

In the end though, it was Trimble that struck at the opportune times as Russell notched his first win.

"It feels great," Russell said. "Hopefully we can just keep getting more and more as the year goes on."

Trimble improves to 1-2 with the win and Miller drops to 0-1.

Miller: 000 000 0 0R 6H 1E
Trimble: 113 000 X 5R 5H 1E

Miller: pitchers Ryan Green, Ryan Estep (5), catcher Jacob Reynolds
Trimble: pitcher Taylor Russell, catcher Kasey Cruse

WP: Russell
LP: Green