Eagles' freshman handcuffs Raiders
By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on March 2, 2011 1:47 PM
If freshman Reed Howell turns in a few more performances like his first varsity start, he'll begin to remind Rosewood fans of another Eagles' hurler who wore number 11.
Howell showed flashes of Matt Neal-esque poise and tossed five shutout innings as Rosewood opened its season with a 6-2, non-conference victory over Midway on Tuesday.
Howell stranded a pair of Raiders on base in the first, second and fourth innings. The right-hander avoided trouble with runners on the corners in the first and fourth innings. He escaped harm with Raiders on second and third base in the second inning.
Howell scattered four hits, struck out five and walked three.
Midway stranded 11 men on base.
"He's been a bright spot for us," said Eagles' head coach Jason King. "We see a lot of good stuff in him. He's a got a lot of confidence. He's a got a lot of poise. We had the same situation with Matt Neal and he started for us for four years.
"It's a good thing to have someone that good now, but to think he can improve every year is a big thing."
Ian Speight's RBI singles in the first and third innings gave Rosewood a 2-0 lead. Garrett Burns scored on a Midway error in the fourth inning.
The Raiders pulled to within 3-1 in the top of the sixth inning as Jordan Farthing scored on a wild pitch.
Will Winslow's two-run triple in the home half of the sixth inning increased the lead to 5-1. Winslow later scored on a wild pitch, and also walked three times. Cody Harris and Burns both had two hits.
The Eagles benefited from six Midway errors.
"We tried to put pressure on the defense and be aggressive on the bases," said King. "I was really pleased with our plate appearances for the most part since most of these guys have only been out here two times."
The Raiders tacked on a run on a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning.
Rosewood (1-0 overall) plays host to Wilson Fike today.
"Any time you can come out and get a win against a good ball club, it's outstanding," said King. "It kind of sets the tone for the rest of the season."