Staff report
Bell County held off a Pineville Mountain Lion rally on Friday and escaped with a 6-5 win.
The Bobcats got a big insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to got up 6-4. Austin North singled before Evan Brock reached on a fielder’s choice grounder. Scotty Fields moved Brock into scoring position with a ground ball and Aaron Jenkins brought him home with a base hit.
But the Lions nearly completed their comeback in the seventh. With one out Seth Jeffrey reached on an error and then scored on a base hit by Jordan Slusher. Slusher moved to second on a grounder by Connor Ford. Then Bell’s Zach Turner got Kyle Capps to ground out to short and end the game.
Dylan Cox earned the win after pitching the first five innings. He allowed two runs on four hits while striking out six and walking one. Turner earned a save after working the final two innings. He allowed three runs, one earned, one earned, on three hits, struck out two and walked one.
Capps singled and doubled, drove in two runs and scored one to lead the Pineville offense. Ford singled twice and scored two runs while Slusher also had two hits, an RBI and a run scored. Tanner Mike also singled for the Lions.
Cox led Bell County with two doubles and scored a run. Brock singled twice, reached on a fielder’s choice and scored three times. Jared Slusher had two singles, an RBI and a run scored while Hayden Gilbert drove in a run with two singles. Austin North also had two hits in the game while Jacob Rose Jenkins added RBI singles.
The Bobcats struck first with a run in the second inning. Caleb Smith walked and stole second then came in to score on Jared Slusher two-out single.
Pineville answered in the top of the third with two runs. Jordan Slusher reached on an error with two out and then scored on Ford’s single. Capps followed with an RBI double and the Lions led 2-1.
Bell went back on top in the bottom of the inning. Brock singled and Cox doubled to start the frame. With one down, Rose delivered an RBI single and with two out Hayden Gilbert singled to score Cox for a 3-2 Bell lead.
In the bottom of the fourth the Bobcats rallied again. Jared Slusher, North and Brock all singled to produce one run and Brock later came around to score as Jenkins reached on an error. Mike got the Lions out of the inning with the score still 5-2 as he snagged a liner off the bat of Rose and doubled a runner off at first.
In the top of the sixth Pineville got a lead-off single from Ford and he took second on an error. Capps followed with an RBI single and took second on the throw home. Tyler Evans walked and Capps later scored on an error to bring the Lions with one run before Bell held on for the 6-5 win.
Both teams are scheduled to be back in action today with Pineville (7-10) hosting Berea and Bell County (11-10) hosting Whitley County.
— — —
Pineville…002 002 1 — 5 7 2
Bell Co……012 201 x — 6 12 4
Kyle Capps and Jordan Slusher; Dylan Cox, Zach Turner (6) and Aaron Jenkins. W-Cox. L-Capps. Sv.- Turner.


















