Pendleton baseball wins two versus Shelbyville

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PENDLETON — It has not taken long for the return of Corbin Cox to the Pendleton Heights roster to pay dividends. After missing the first six games of the season, the senior has been a prime contributor during the current Arabian winning streak.

Cox scored both Arabian runs in the first game and drove in three runs with three hits in the night cap as Pendleton Heights swept its Friday doubleheader with Shelbyville by scores of 2-1 and 10-1.

Pendleton Heights (9-1) has now won nine in a row since a season opening loss to New Castle and is now 5-1 in Hoosier Heritage Conference play, tied for first with New Palestine.

“You have to get out strong in our conference,” Arabian coach Travis Keesling said. “There’s a lot of parity in our conference. I think, especially as we get into the home stretch of conference play, there’s a lot of good teams, so for us to get out 5-1 is really big.”

In the first game against the Bears, senior Chayce McDermott turned in a dominating pitching performance for the Arabians. But, despite allowing just three hits and striking out 10 in six innings pitched, the one run he allowed was the only run of the game as the Arabians came to bat in the sixth.

Cox led off the sixth with a walk and, after moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, scored when senior Brandon Helpling pulled a double down the left line to tie the game at one.

Cox then came on in relief for McDermott and pitched two perfect innings, striking out four, to set the stage for a winning rally in the bottom of the eighth.

Cox started the bottom of the eighth with a single to left. He advanced to second on a groundout and to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, he scored when senior Adam Carr beat out an infield hit to give the Arabians a 2-1 win.

The Arabians won despite collecting just four hits in the first game. Keesling gave credit for the win to his pitching staff and defense.

“We had no offense in the first game,” he said. “But our pitching and our defense kept us in the game until we were able to scratch out a few runs. That’s what is going to win games, pitching and defense.”

Pendleton Heights had no shortage of offense in the second game. The Arabians pounded 10 hits and took advantage of five walks and seven Shelbyville errors in rolling to the sweep.

Cox singled home two runs as part of a four-run third and drove in another with a ground out in the fourth.

“It’s always good to have your key bats back in the lineup, and he’s definitely one of them,” Keesling said of Cox.

Eston Stull had a big game at the plate and on the mound. The senior, who will be playing next year at IU-Kokomo, was 4-5, stole two bases and scored twice in the second game. He was also the winning pitcher, surrendering just three hits and a run while striking out six in five innings.

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