Solid pitching leads Tomcats

By AARON SNYDER — The Independent

Ashland Sat, May 17 2008

— Ashland had its hands full again against Raceland, but this time the Tomcats got the better of the Rams in a
3-2 home victory Monday night.
“Raceland is always a tough game for us,” said Ashland coach Jeff Wilcox. “We’re happy to come through and win a close, tournament-type game.”
On April 24, it was hitting that dominated a Rams 8-6 win, but Monday night’s spotlight shined on the mound.
Ashland’s Caleb Rigsby and Raceland’s Josh Wilson nearly matched one another pitch for pitch.
Rigsby was the first to give up a run as two miscues cost Ashland in the first inning.
Following a botched groundout which could have been a double play, Rigsby balked in Rams leadoff hitter Peyton Martin, who had reached on a base hit.
The Tomcats (18-7) made another error in the third inning which ultimately resulted in another run by Martin. John Scott Carver drove in the Rams’ shortstop with a double to left-center field.
From that point, though, Rigsby settled into a groove.
“You’ve got to get some runs off of him early if you’re going to have a chance to win the game,” said Raceland coach Randy Vanderhoof. “He got real good command of his fastball and breaking pitch after that. He settled down and did a nice job.”
Rigsby, who threw six innings, also helped his own cause with the bat. He drove in Ashland’s first run with a single to center field in the bottom of the third.
The next batter, Nick Jackson, followed suit by driving in the tying run.
Neither team scored again until the fifth inning, when Justin Slone blooped an RBI single into short center field to bring in Chase Adkins, giving the Tomcats a 3-2 lead.
Ashland scored all three of its runs with two outs.
“We talk about putting the ball in play,” Wilcox said. “Justin is real bad about pulling the ball. I thought he did a great job of just putting it where the pitch was and putting it over the shortstop’s head to drive in the winning run.”
Wilson, a lefty, used a nice pickoff move off the mound to force Slone into a rundown between second and third base to end the inning.
Wilson picked off two baserunners in the game. He went six innings and struck out six batters.
“Josh is really listening to (pitching coach Drew) Hall now and they’re on the same page,” Vanderhoof said. “He is improving every time out. He made a lot of nice pitches. I just wish he could have gotten the win.”
Raceland (8-13) had a couple chances to get another run across the plate after the third inning, but it never happened.
Dillon Keeton singled and got to second in the sixth, but Rigsby got Bobby McKee to strike out to end the inning.
In the seventh, Ashland’s closer, Adkins, came in and sat down all three Rams he faced to earn the save. He and Rigsby showed part of the reason why Ashland pitching is giving up less than four runs per game this season.
“We’ve been using Chase in that role all year long and he accepts that role and does a great job,” Wilcox said. “He throws the ball very well.”
Although the Rams took their third loss in four games, Vanderhoof was pleased to compete in a close game.
“Being in good, tight games like this one gets you ready for the postseason,” he said. “The more ways you find to stay in games like that, it really helps later on.”
Raceland hosts East Carter tonight, while Ashland visits Russell.

RACELAND 101 000 0 — 2 4 2
ASHLAND 002 010 x — 3 6 3
Wilson and Jones; Rigsby, Adkins (7) and Duvall. W—Rigsby. L—Wilson. Sv—Adkins. 2B—Raceland, Carver, Ashland, Rigsby, Keaton.