Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports
MAN Bo Thompson tossed a complete game four-hitter and Jace Adkins and Brady Hall-Montgomery each had three hits as Class A No. 3 Man defeated Wayne, 4-1, Friday evening at William Tootie Carter Field.
Adkins and Hall-Montgomery had six of Man’s 11 hits on the evening. Hall-Montgomery finished 3-for-3 with one RBI and Adkins was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.
Thompson outpitched Wayne ace Kiah Napier to win his fifth game this season, allowing four hits and one unearned run with three walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. Thompson improved to 5-0 in five starts this season and lowered his ERA from 2.16 to 1.65.
Napier, who pitched nine innings in a win over Man on April 7, gave up four runs and a season-high 11 hits with two walks and one strikeout in six innings.
Thompson, who hasn’t allowed an earned run in 16 2/3 innings, gave up a run in the first when Levi Cassidy scored on a throwing error to give Wayne a 1-0 lead.
Adkins doubled with one out in the bottom of the first and came around to score on Hall-Montgomery’s single, which was Hall-Montgomery’s team leading 27th RBI of the season to tie the game, 1-1, after one inning of play.
Man broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the third inning. Just like the first inning, Adkins doubled with one out, stole third and came around to score on Preston Blankenship’s single to give Man a 2-1 lead.
Blankenship stole second and advanced to third on Hall-Montgomery’s second hit of the contest and would score on Caleb Vance’s groundout to extend Man’s advantage to 3-1 after three innings of play.
The Hillbillies tacked on a run in the fourth when Colton Miller doubled with two outs and scored on Caleb Blevins’ single off the right field fence to take a 4-1 lead after four innings.
Cassidy had one hit, scored one run, and stole two bases for Wayne, who also got a hit each from Peyton Davis, Brayden Jackson and Braxton Marcum.
Blankenship and Blevins each had one hit and drove in one run, Miller doubled and scored while John McCoy and Thompson each had one hit for Man.
Wayne falls to 7-7 with the loss and will host the Scott Skyhawks Monday evening.
Man improved to 11-4 on the year and will travel to Myrtle Beach, SC to take part in the Mingo Bay Classic. The Hillbillies will open play on Tuesday against Lakewood (SC).