Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports
MAN Braxton Messer tossed a complete game shutout Thursday evening as Man defeated Wyoming East 4-0 at William Tootie Carter Field.
Messer allowed two hits, walked four and struck out 12 while Brayden Compton and Bo Thompson each went 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead Man at the plate. Jace Adkins was 2 for 2 with a pair of run scored.
Hunter Gibson, John McCoy and Messer each had one hit and Kaden Dickerson had one RBI in the Hillbillies win.
Man (5-0) scored three runs in the first inning. Messer scored on Thompson's single to put Man on the board first. Dickerson's groundout plated Adkins with the second run of the inning and Thompson scored on Compton's RBI single to give Man a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Man added a run in the fourth inning when Adkins scored on a throwing error to put Man ahead 4-0 after four complete.
Wyoming East had opportunities to close the gap in the second and fourth innings. After striking out the first batter in the second, Messer allowed a single to Garrett Mitchell and walked Shawn Mosley before striking out the next two hitters to end the top half of the second.
In the fourth Wyoming East got a leadoff walk from Miken Smythe, but Messer got Hayden Blankenship to ground into a double play to quickly erase the threat. The double play was one of two turned by the Hillbillies.
Messer retired nine of the next 10 batters he faced over the final three innings. Smythe's two out single in the sixth was the only base runner Messer allowed in the final innings.
Mitchell and Smythe each had one hit for Wyoming East (0-1), who was playing its first game of the 2023 season.
Mitchell suffered the loss on the mound for Wyoming East after allowing four runs on six hits, two walks and one strikeout in three innings.
Wyoming East will host Princeton Monday afternoon while Man is back in action Monday evening as they host Belfry (KY) at 6 PM at William Tootie Carter Field.