By Ted Waddell
JEFFERSONVILLE — In one of the season’s best pitching duels to date, the starters for the visiting Tri-Valley Bears and the Sullivan West Bulldogs in Tuesday’s non-league baseball game had the opposition buffaloed, bedazzled and bewildered.
“Brad Reimer pitched excellently, he had us befuddled all day, we couldn’t figure him out,” T-V Coach John Rusin said of SW’s junior hurler. “He got stronger as the day went on.”
SW Coach Kurt Scheibe Jr. sang the praises of the Bears’ starter, senior Bo Murphy.
“Bo kept us off balance, and it’s a shame when you get a game like this, somebody’s got to lose,” Scheibe said.
T-V (7-6) recorded a 2-1 victory in eight innings as Tim Martin scored the game-winning run on a double by Andrew Yager.
Yager had a pretty good outing, as he also hit a double in the fourth inning.
The Bears scored a run in the top of the first and maintained that lead until the bottom of the fourth when SW (6-3) tied it up at 1-1.
As the game went into an extra inning, both starting pitchers took a seat as Logan Grishaber relieved Reimer and Yager took over the mound for Murphy.
Murphy picked up the win, allowing only three hits and striking out 15.
Two of those Bulldog hits were by Reimer, who recorded 10 strikeouts in his seven innings on the mound.
In the top of the fourth, Reimer loaded the bases by issuing a walk. But a grounder to third base ended the Bears’ scoring threat.
“It was an incredible pitching duel, one of the best I’ve ever seen at the high school level,” Rusin said. “It was a well-played ball game.”
Scheibe praised the performances by Murphy and Reimer.
“Both of them pitched a great game,” he said.
“Tri-Valley came up with a hit when they needed it with their leadoff batter on second [in the eighth inning].”