BAKER — Austin Hicks wasn’t perfect Thursday. But the Baker School senior pitcher was pretty darn good as the Gators hosted Freeport in a District 3-1A game.
Hicks went the distance on the mound throwing a one-hit shutout as Baker rolled to a 6-0 win.
Baker-Freeport baseball photos>>>
Freeport’s only hit of the game came with one out in the top of the seventh inning when Bailey Miller legged out a slow roller for an infield single.
In the mean time Hicks struck out nine while walking two batters and hitting one. Freeport also had two batters reach base on Gator errors.
“It just makes me angry,” Hicks said of the infield it. “I honestly would have preferred it be a hard hit ball.
“My cutter and my curve ball were working real good. I’ve had some hip problems lately. But I changed up some things and the movement on my ball was good.”
Coming off a big win over Northview on Tuesday it didn’t take Baker (4-9, 2-6) long to get untracked. The Gators scored five runs on just two hits in the first inning.
Hicks led off and reached on a Bulldog error. Connor Bartlett, who took over on the base paths for Hicks as a courtesy runner, stole second base.
Baker loaded the bases with one out when Austin Davis and Travis Adams were hit by pitches from Freeport’s Ryder Newman. Dakota Blackburn followed Adams and delivered a single to left field scoring Bartlett and Davis.
Adams scored as Jonathan Gatewood was safe on a fielder’s choice. Gabe Nelson singled driving in Blackburn and Gatewood.
Baker added a final run in the sixth when Nelson walked and later scored on a Logan Rickmon single.
“This really started on Tuesday when we beat Northview, “Gator Coach Adam Henry said. “These guys have just got to keep it rolling.
“Austin did a great job on the mound. He threw his pitches where they needed to be. And the guys played good behind him.”
Rickmon and Blackburn had two hits each to pace the Gator attack.
“We are making progress,” Hicks said. “We are starting to come together as a team and that’s what it takes to win ball games.”
Email News Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker's Hicks shuts down Freeport (PHOTOS, VIDEO)