The Bradshaw Mountain High School baseball team improved from their last performance against Lee Williams senior pitcher Matt Bathauer on Friday afternoon, March 15th, getting three base hits after being no-hit for six and two-thirds innings last year against the talented left-hander. However, Bathauer once again proved victorious over the Bears at Bradshaw Mountain High School in Prescott Valley with a 4-1 victory.
“They’re tough, they’re definitely the best team we’ve played so far,” Bears Head Coach Brian Bundrick said. “That’s exactly what you’d expect from a section championship team with two returning stars. Their pitcher just came right after us.”
Bathauer pitched a complete game on Friday afternoon against the Bears at Bradshaw Mountain High School. Last season, he had to give up the ball being one out away from a no-hitter against the Bears in Prescott Valley due to pitch count regulations. In seven innings on Friday, the senior struck out ten hitters, walked three and allowed one unearned run.
“The first few innings I was kind of struggling, I really wasn’t getting out like I wanted to,” Bathauer said. ” I corrected my mechanics and I just focused on pounding the zone and then my brother (Michael Bathauer) got behind the plate and we started calling the curveball. It was all uphill from there.”
Bathauer received support offensively by sophomore Garrett Diem who launched a two-run home run over the left field wall in the sixth inning, the first of his high school career. The blast put Lee Williams up 2-1.
Lee Williams added another two runs in the top half of the seventh inning. One came in on an error and the other came across via an RBI single by senior Addis Guzman.
Junior Paxton Prentice pitched a complete game for Bradshaw Mountain High School, allowing four runs – three earned – on seven hits while striking out four and walking two.
Bradshaw Mountain High School (2-4, 0-3) and Lee Williams (3-0, 2-0) rematch at Lee Williams High School on Tuesday, March 21st at 1:45 pm.
Photo Gallery by Torrence Dunham / Signals
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