Bryant High School (Bryant, AR) Athletics

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FORTVILLE — Ethan Larrison wanted to finish what he started. Chase McColley had no choice but to come out.</h1>
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Shelbyville’s workhorse starting pitchers helped the Golden Bears sweep a key pair of Hoosier Heritage Conference baseball games Friday at Mount Vernon. 
Larrison didn’t allow a base hit until the fourth inning, scattered six total and had seven strikeouts in a 10-6 win on a cold and breezy night in Fortville. 
 
“My arm felt fine,” said Larrison, who improved to 3-0 this season. “I felt like I could finish the game off even if they somehow came back to tie it. I felt like I could keep going into extra innings.” 
 
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Larrison needed 131 pitches to get the job done, struggling in the cool conditions walking six. The Marauders scored a pair of runs in the seventh but the Shelbyville senior, who will pitch collegiately at Indiana State University, finished the game off with a strikeout of Conner Spencer. 
 
“The defense was great behind me and we had really good offense,” said Larrison. The Golden Bears made a statement by starting the doubleheader with four runs in the top of the first. 
 
Daniel Kuhn led off the game with a walk off Mount Vernon lefty Zach Spears. Three straight singles followed from Conner Hasecuster, McColley and Colin Phelps, who came into the game hitting .391. Mitchell Mathies then doubled to make it 4-0. “Going out and getting that first four runs in that first inning was really big,” said Larrison. “You have to keep that. With a four-run lead I can go after them.” Larrison helped his own cause in the third with a sacrifice fly that scored Phelps, who was 3-for-4 in game one and 2-for-4 in game two to raise his average to a team-leading .452. 
“Phelps is on fire,” said Shelbyville coach Scott Hughes. “Even his mishits are just smoked. He is really seeing it.” Mathies had another 2-run double in the fourth that pushed Shelbyville’s lead to 8-0. 
McColley didn’t have the luxury of pitching with the lead in game two. Joey Turner delivered a first-inning double that scored Christian Smith to put the Shelbyville right-hander in a hole. But McColley got stronger as the game went on. He struck out two of the three Marauders he faced in the second and fourth innings and three of the four in the sixth. 
Phelps opened the Shelbyville second inning with a base hit. He advanced to second on a James Stricker wild pitch and scored on Larrison’s single to tie the game. The Marauders’ single runs in the third and fifth innings were unearned but damaging none the less. 
Trailing 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Shelbyville was primed to waste McColley’s stellar performance. Phelps again delivered at the plate with a single that scored Hasecuster, who started the inning with a hit. And after Mathies grounded out to advance McColley, who singled ahead of Phelps, and Phelps to third and second, respectively, Larrison was intentionally walked to load the bases. J.D. Cox popped up just deep enough to center field to allow McColley to score and send the game to extra innings. 
And despite his own pitch count soaring, the senior trotted back out to the mound. He struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth, got a double play in the ninth to avoid trouble and then turned the pitching duties over to Austin Peugh, after reaching 139 pitches. 
“I told coach I wasn’t ready to come out,” said McColley. “There was no doubt in my mind. Now, would I be able to throw the ball tomorrow? Probably not.” 
“The number of pitches doesn’t concern me, it’s how they lumber through an inning,” said Hughes of both Larrison’s and McColley’s high pitch count totals Friday. “It’s how they get through innings.” 
Peugh was nasty. The senior offered up a steady dose of breaking balls that befuddled the Marauders (6-8, 3-5 HHC). He struck out the side setting up Shelbyville’s dramatic 10th. 
Cox and Adam Eads started the inning with back-to-back singles. However, Cox was picked off second base by Mount Vernon pitcher Kennedy Parker. With one out now, designated hitter Tyler Land singled to advance Eads. Daniel Kuhn reached on an error when Mount Vernon shortstop Noah Powell mishandled Kuhn’s grounder.And with the bases loaded, Hasecuster lifted a fly ball into center field that allowed Eads to tag up and score. Peugh got the win but McColley was superb lasting nine innings, allowing seven hits and three walks while striking out 15. 
McColley didn’t get the win but the Golden Bears did to improve to 10-1 and, more importantly, 5-1 in the HHC. “That’s wonderful,” said McColley. 
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PAIR OF ACES PUT SHELBYVILLE AT TOP OF HHC

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