Bell City BB is being offensive with its play through fast start

BELL CITY – The trajectory of Bell City High School baseball has been rising through each of the past two springs like a solid connection into a gap, and that positive mojo has carried over into this fall season, as well.

The Cubs have improved from three to eight wins in each of the past two springs while this fall, following a 10-2 beating of Cooter on Wednesday at Bell City, they have won three of their first four games.

“This year,” veteran Cubs coach Justin Simpher said following the win, “we have swung the bat well.”

That is an understatement.

Through four games, Bell City has tallied 46 hits and scored 10 runs in its three victories (beating Bloomfield, Puxico, and Cooter).

“We have made adjustments (at the plate),” Simpher said, “and the biggest thing has been putting the ball in play, being a tough out, and grinding things out.”

Even in a 10-4 loss to Greenville, Bell City still had a season-best 13 hits.

“There were some at-bats (today), where guys might have struck out,” Simpher said, “where we were down and behind in counts, but we battled back and got ourselves a hitters count.”

The Cubs did have seven strikeouts on Wednesday but made up for those by drawing nine walks and connecting for 12 hits.

Sophomore Kale Richardson paced the Cubs with three hits and as many runs scored. He also had an RBI and drew a walk.

Cooter, which graduated seven seniors, all of whom started last spring, took a 2-1 lead into the third inning before the Cubs scored three runs in each of their next three at-bats.

“And two of those (seven seniors),” veteran Cooter coach David Mathis said of his incredibly young team, “were all-state players.”

Bell City junior Dawson Loomes managed to get a couple of hits while scoring one run, driving in a run, and walking once, but his real impact was on the mound.

The right-hander worked six innings and allowed just one earned run while striking out eight Wildcat hitters. He walked one batter and allowed five hits.

“He did a phenomenal job today,” Mathis said of Loomes.

Bell City sophomore Aydin Malone had a double for the only extra-base hit in the game for the hosts while driving in a run.

Easton Newell (one hit, three runs, two walks), Baylor Eftink (one hit, two runs, two walks), Linc Scherer (one hit, one run, two RBI), Jake Asher (one hit, two RBI), Logan Stubenrauch (one hit, two RBI, two walks), and Blaine Scheible (one hit, one walk) also contributed to the win.

Richardson closed the game on the mound by throwing one inning of no-hit ball while striking out two hitters and walking none.

Wildcat junior Sawyer McAfee led Cooter (1-4) with two hits and an RBI while Tyson Banks (one hit, one run), Talan King (one run, one RBI), Jackson Watkins (one hit), and Hunter Sams (one hit) also were productive.

Cooter sophomore pitcher Jayden McLevain threw 4 1/3 innings in the loss while walking three and striking out six hitters.

“Obviously,” Simpher said, “the more runs the better. But our approach has been to do whatever we have to do, on any given day, to give ourselves a chance to win.”

Cooter will host Senath-Hornersville (2-2) today at 4:30 p.m.

Bell City will visit Meadow Heights on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.