The Lakeside Rams on Tuesday defeated the El Dorado Wildcats 10-0 behind a combined no-hitter from senior pitcher Harrison Barmore and junior pitcher Grady Ohman.
The Rams (6-4, 2-3) were able to end the game with a run rule in the sixth inning behind a late eruption of offense.
Lakeside's pitching faced the minimum after only allowing two base runners on a pair of early walks. Barmore had to leave the game while warming up for the fifth inning due to discomfort in his pitching arm.
Ohman came in and ended the game with two perfect frames. He also went 2-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch, a run scored, and an RBI at the plate.
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"Any time you throw a no-hitter, I feel like that's enough said," Lakeside head coach Brooks Balisterri said after the game. "Guys just came out there and competed in the zone, and we played good defense behind them. It's unfortunate that Barmore couldn't finish. I think he's going to be OK. You always hate seeing someone get hurt, especially a senior. Hopefully we'll get him back. Just a testament to our staff. Ohman came in and shut the door. It was a really good job by them."
The Wildcats (6-6, 4-2) also had a strong start on the mound from senior pitcher Holden Lowry. Through the first four innings, the only two runs Lakeside scored came after a ball was misplayed in shallow center field in the first inning.
Lowry was able to escape a bases-loaded jam in the second inning by forcing a grounder to second base, and he got around the first two batters reaching base in the third inning without allowing a run. El Dorado's third baseman ended the frame with a diving stop and threw the runner out at first.
"They just kept putting the ball into play and we just happened to make plays," El Dorado head coach Jeff Burson said after the game. "They kept pressing on us and pressing on us and we finally started to make some errors at the end that helped them out too."
El Dorado's luck did not last forever as the Rams stopped leaving runners on base in the latter portion of the game. The Rams forced the game to a 10-run mercy rule after a big fifth inning and a pair of runs crossed in the sixth.
After the first two runners reached base in the fifth inning, senior Brady Arnold was able to slash a double down the third base line to bring both runners home. After a single and hit-batter loaded the bases, El Dorado took Lowry out for left-handed pitcher Ethan Darden.
The sophomore forced a grounder to third, which resulted in a force out at home. With two outs and bases loaded, the defense started to spiral for El Dorado.
Darden threw a wild pitch to the next batter and allowed a runner to score for Lakeside. Against the next hitter, he forced a chopper back to the mound, but the toss to first hit the runner and two more Lakeside runs came across.
During the next at-bat, the catcher tried to throw out a runner stealing third, but the ball went over the third baseman into left field, allowing the runner to score. In the inning, Lakeside brought 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs.
In the sixth inning, Lakeside got a leadoff single, and a couple batters later, a bad hop went over the Wildcat second baseman. Sophomores Andrew Morgan and Beau Brock each singled home a run to end the game. Morgan finished the game 3-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch, a run scored, and an RBI.
Nine of 10 Lakeside hitters got a knock in the game and the Rams finished the game without striking out. Senior Ben Jennings reached base four times, got an RBI, and scored a pair of runs. Junior Landon Rhea reached base three times and scored a pair of runs.
"I feel like that's the most complete game we've played all year," Balisterri said. "Pitching, defense, and at the plate. It's huge. It was a must-win for us and we got it. I'm just hoping this will propel us forward. We're a young team and once these guys get rolling, I think we have a chance to be really really good."