By Adam MacDonald
VALDOSTA — One of Bart Shuman’s goals for the Valdosta Wildcats in summer baseball is to find some pitching.
Well, the Wildcats’ head coach looks like he found at least one answer on Wednesday night.
Rising senior Kenyuntay Gatlin pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout in the Wildcats’ 9-0 win over the Crisp County at Bazemore Field.
Gatlin struckout 11 batters and walked three. Only one of his three hits allowed went for extra bases.
“I felt great,” Gatlin said. “I was changing up the two seamer and the four seamer and just trying to stay focused and let my defense held me. I actually didn’t expect to do that good because I had some soreness but it worked out. I felt pretty good today.”
Shuman said, “I’m very pleased with what he did today. He was around the strike zone and had great control.”
The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Chad Prain’s RBI sac fly to left that scored Harrison Waller.
The game remained 1-0 until the Wildcats scored five runs in the fourth, four of which were unearned.
With one out, Ryan Whilden reached on an infield single and came home on an RBI single by Taylor McQuaig after stealing second to make it 2-0. After a pop out for the second out of the inning, Devontae Foster reached on an error and McQuaig moved to third. Tanner Allen followed with a fly ball into short centerfield that was dropped by Luke Whitman and McQuaig scored to make it 3-0.
Waller then doubled home Foster and Brent Robison hit a triple to left that scored Allen and Waller to make it 6-0.
The Wildcats added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Whilden and a sac fly by Bo Wathal.
The Wildcats scored their final run in the sixth on an RBI double by Robert Wehling that scored Allen.
“I thought we hit the ball well,” Shuman said. “Devontae Foster is kind of a newcomer on this team and he’s tearing the cover off the ball. He’s in the running for a spot. Tyler Yelito is a new guy that’s hitting well and Harrison Waller and Brent Robison are kind of veterans now as juniors. We have to find a couple pitchers, but we’re coming together pretty quick.”
While the Wildcats built a big lead, Gatlin didn’t really need it. He pitched around a single in the third and a walk in the sixth by striking out the side both times. In the fourth he walked the leadoff hitter Chris Yawns but picked him off one batter later.
The Wildcats’ defense also helped Gatlin out. The defense committed one error and got five ground outs and three flyouts. Wathal, the catcher, threw out Rigdon Ring trying to steal second in the fifth. Ring reached on an error to leadoff the inning.
Gatlin is one several Wildcats auditioning for a spot at the top of the rotation for the 2010 season.
“I’m working as hard as I can to make it there,” Gatlin. “I thank God for keeping me strong this summer. I have some competition. Chad (Prain) is a little bit above me. I’m going to work hard. I mostly have to work on hitting my spots.”
Shuman said, “He’s in the running for the top two or three in the pitching rotation next year. He has a chance. It just depends on how he develops this summer. He’s in the mix.”
Later on Wednesday night, the Wildcats beat the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes, 13-0.
Both of Valdosta’s games on Wednesday were part of the Berrien/Cook baseball tournament. The Wildcats will continue the tournament Thursday when they take on Pierce County at home starting at 7:30 p.m. The Wildcats will also play Jeff Davis on Friday at Berrien at 7:30 p.m.
