PORTSMOUTH — Indeed, it was ‘Knapp’ time for the Green Bobcats against the Notre Dame Titans on Monday.
In an early-season first-place battle in the Southern Ohio Conference Division I baseball championship chase, Green sophomore Jon Knapp pitched a four-hit 15-strikeout complete-game gem —as the visiting Bobcats captured a 7-2 triumph over Notre Dame.
The Titans tallied single runs in innings one and seven, but trailed the entirety of the contest, as the Bobcats built leads of 3-0 and 7-1 — scoring a single run in the second stanza, and two apiece in innings three, five and six.
The six-foot and four-inch ace Knapp notched 113 pitches, as all but 40 went for strikes —as he walked a pair and struck out a pair.
He faced 31 total Titans, striking out 15 of them.
Only one of Notre Dame’s two runs was earned, as Landon Barbarits and had two of the Titans’ four hits —and scored both runs.
With the win, Green raised its record to 4-1 —and to 2-0 in the SOC I, with its other league victory coming two weeks ago over Clay.
The loss left Notre Dame at 4-2, and at 3-1 in the league — with wins over Clay, New Boston and Ironton St. Joseph also coming in conference play.
The Bobcats outhit the Titans 12-4, as Blake Smith led the way with three hits — followed by Gabe Blevins with two.
Smith, Knapp and senior Nathaniel Brannigan all doubled —as Landon Kimbler, Quincy Merrill, Braxton Conschafsky, Alec Thompson and Mason Neal notched singles.
Brannigan and Smith had a pair of runs batted in, and Conschafsky and Thompson tallied one apiece.
Brannigan scored a pair of runs, while Kimbler, Thompson and Neal all drew walks.
For the Titans, sophomore ace pitcher Luke Cassidy did not throw—as Notre Dame used three pitchers, led by Eugene Collins, who worked the first four innings.
He gave up three earned runs on six hits with no walks, and struck out five before giving relief way to Coleman Shaffer (one inning, three hits, two runs, none earned, one walk and two strikeouts) and Braxton Jones (two innings, three hits, two runs, two earned runs, two walks and two strikeouts).
Collins and Barbarits both were hit by pitches, as Cassidy had an RBI-double and Phillips a single.
Both Cassidy and Shaffer drew walks by Knapp.
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