Clarion Uses A Combined No Hitter To Defeat Redbank Valley (05/04/2018)

Skylar Rhoades pitched six inning and struck out ten.

(By CSZ Sports Writer Kenn Staub)  Last Friday (April 27) Skylar Rhoades and Skyler Pastor teamed up to two-hit AC Valley in a 6-1 Clarion win. Four days later the Bobcat hurlers bettered themselves, joining forces on Tuesday, May 1 to no-hit the visiting Redbank Valley Bulldogs in Clarion’s 1-0 late inning victory.

Bryan Layton, the Redbank Valley pitcher, was almost as formidable as the aforementioned Clarion duo, scattering a mere three hits, walking only one, and striking out eleven in his complete game effort. He and a stout Bulldog defense prevented Clarion from advancing runners into scoring position until the fifth inning and kept the Bobcats off the board until the sixth. It was the sixth, however, that would prove decisive.

Rhoades helped his own cause with the bat, hitting a game winning RBI single.

With two outs, Layton issued a four pitch walk to Clarion’s Sterling Conner. Rhoades followed Conner to the plate, watching from his vantage point at the dish as the Bobcat senior stole second and scampered to third on a passed ball. With a 3-2 count Rhoades delivered what would prove to be the decisive blow of the game, a single to left that scored Conner.

The question now shifted to whether Clarion’s 1-0 advantage could hold up through the visiting teams at bat in the seventh. Rhoades had been impressive on the mound up to that point, fanning over half of the batters he faced in the previous six innings. Though Redbank Valley threatened in the first, third, and fifth, Rhoades had risen to the challenge, coming away with key strikes outs to stymie the Bulldog attack.

Keeping Rhoades on the bump in the bottom of the seventh was seemingly a no-brainer. But in high school baseball today there is a pitch count, and Rhoades had reached his limit. He could go no further. A pitching change was needed. And so Bobcat manager Rob Jewett went to Pastor.

Skyler Pastor relieved in the seventh, striking out three to preserve the no-hitter.

Pastor struck out the first Redbank Valley batter he faced on four pitches, all strikes. The Bulldog’s Nick Smith followed, reaching first on an error. Pastor responded by setting the next batter down on four pitches. With two outs and a runner on first, all that remained between Pastor and a combined no-hitter was one more out.

Things appeared to be going the Bulldog’s way during Hudson Martz’s at-bat, as a balk sent Smith to second and he moved to third on a passed ball. Pastor, with a runner ninety feet away from sending the game into extra innings, rendered Smith moot, striking out Martz to preserve the no-hit victory.

In addition to Rhoades’s game winning RBI single, Cutter Boggess doubled and Conner singled for the Bobcats other two hits. Conner stole a base.

Rhoades pitched the first six innings, striking out ten on his way to the win. Pastor pitched the final inning to earn the save, striking out three.

A team huddle following the game.

The teams shake hands after a hard fought game.

(photos by Christie Rhoades)