BLANCHESTER — Despite allowing just three earned runs, the Blanchester baseball team lost to Bethel-Tate 14-3 Friday in SBAAC National Division action at Bott Field.

The Wildcats are 4-1 in the division and now trail unbeaten Williamsburg in the standings.

The victory is the first of the year for the Tigers.

BHS pitchers Adam Frump and Brody Rice gave up 10 walks in the game.

“Our top two pitchers combined for over 150 pitches for the third time this season and still didn’t get out of the sixth,” BHS head coach Aaron Lawson said. “This day and age everyone gets wrapped up in velocity. Who cares how hard you throw if you can’t get ahead and get guys out? We are going to make some changes to the pitching staff next week and hopefully it pays off for the team. I’m tired of watching us fall behind hitters and record walk after walk. If I get beat I want it to be with strikes.”

Cole Ficke had a two-run homer in the first. Zach West drive in the other BHS run.

“Behel’s pitcher was not overpowering,” Lawson said. “He pitched backwards and kept our guys off-balance. When we did put the ball in play hard, they made some nice plays.”

SUMMARY

April 9, 2021

@Bott Field, BHS

Bethel-Tate 14 Blanchester 3

BT^0^3^5^0^1^5^^14.11.0

BL^2^0^0^0^1^0^^3.5.3

(3) BLANCHESTER (ab-r-h-rbi) Burch 3-0-1-0 Czaika 2-2-1-0 Rice 1-0-0-0 C. Ficke 2-1-1-2 West 1-0-1-1 Frump 3-0-0-0 Hamm 3-0-1-0 Wymer 2-0-0-0 Curless 2-0-0-0 Sipple 1-0-0-0 TOTALS 20-3-5-3

HR: C. Ficke

SB: Burch, Czaika, Rice

PITCHING^IP^H^R^ER^BB^SO

Frump (L)^2.2^3^7^1^5^3

Rice^3.1^8^7^2^5^3