Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

TROY – It didn’t come with ease, but the Shelby County Wildcats continued their undefeated start to the 2022 baseball season Feb. 25-26 with three more wins.

All three wins during the two-day stretch came by three runs or less, but the Wildcats found a way in each game to improve to 6-0 on the season.

It came on the heels of a doubleheader sweep of Vincent on opening day and a victory against Thorsby on Feb. 22, as the Wildcats won those first three games by a combined 28-1.

Taking on Opp, Marbury and Long in the most recent three-game stretch, however, the Wildcats had to scratch and claw to the finish in each game to remain undefeated, and that’s exactly what they did.

In the opening game of the weekend, the Wildcats squared off against Opp and grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

That, however, was followed by one in the top of the second and two more in the top of the third from Opp, who reclaimed the lead at 3-1.

The Wildcats briefly tied the game with another run in the bottom of the third, only to have the Bobcats come back with a four-run top of the fourth to open up a 7-2 advantage.

Shelby County came back with one more in the home half, but struggled to get the big inning needed to that point.

That quickly changes, as the Wildcats shifted gear in the fifth.

They didn’t give up another run the rest of the way, while the offense scored three runs in both the fifth and sixth to pull off the 9-7 comeback victory.

Noah Reed, Carter Sheehan, Logan Starnes and Jacob Fox all had two hits in the win, while Matthew Pearson and Connor Aderholt led the team with two RBIs each on one hit.

Starnes, Jace Bolan, Austin Wilson and Fox all had an RBI as well. Aderholt also came in to get the save on the mound.

Fox got the start in the second game of the night against Marbury, and stepped up big for the Wildcats. Despite giving up some runs, he struck out seven and went 6 1/3 innings to help take pressure off the rest of the pitching staff.

It also allowed the Wildcats to be patient offensively, scoring eight runs in an 8-5 victory.

Micah Morris led the team at the plate with a 2-for-4 game featuring two RBIs, while Starnes also went 2-for-4 with a home run, double and RBI. Blake Jennings also had one hit and one RBI, while Wilson went 3-for-4.

Fox and Seth Hall each had one hit with an RBI.

A day later, in the final game of the weekend, the Wildcats used two five-run innings in the third and fifth to take a 10-4 lead on GW Long, but were forced to hold on from there.

Long scored five more runs the rest of the way, while Shelby County scored one in the sixth and held on for an 11-9 victory.

Aderholt led the Wildcats at the plate with a 2-for-2 game featuring two RBIs, while Wilson went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Pearson and Sheehan each added two RBIs on one hit, while Bolan and Morris finished with one RBI each.