Ripley delivered a dominant performance Friday night, rolling to a 17-0 shutout victory over East Union behind a massive offensive surge and sharp pitching.
Josh Gowdy powered the Tigers’ offense, driving in six runs on three hits. He singled home a run in the third inning, then erupted in the sixth with a two-run single and a three-run homer to left as Ripley broke the game open.
Ripley (17 runs on 15 hits) put the contest out of reach with an 11-run sixth inning. Paxton Kennamore started the rally with an RBI single, followed by Gowdy’s three-run blast. Jakolbe Adams added a two-run single, Ryan Scott drove in two with a base hit, and Gowdy capped his big frame with another two-run single. Hayden Hopkins later drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run as the Tigers overwhelmed East Union pitching.
The Tigers struck first in the opening inning when Kennamore lifted a sacrifice fly to plate the game’s first run. Ripley added to its lead in the third as Kennamore doubled to left and Gowdy singled to center, each driving in a run to make it 4-0.
On the mound, Hayden Kuhl was in command. The right-hander tossed five scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out seven and walking two to earn the win. Kuhl also hit three batters but worked out of trouble each time. Ryan Scott closed the door with a clean sixth inning, striking out two and allowing one hit to preserve the shutout.
Ripley’s lineup produced throughout the order. Gowdy, Scott, and Kennamore each finished with three hits. Kuhl and Adams added multiple-hit efforts, with Adams swiping two bases. The Tigers showed patience at the plate, drawing eight walks, and were flawless defensively, committing no errors. Kennamore led the defensive effort with nine plays, and Ripley turned one double play.
East Union managed four hits, with Landon Carroll, Kade Treadaway, Levi Hudson, and Bo Mask each collecting one. Evan Kennedy took the loss after working 3 2/3 innings, allowing six runs (none earned) on five hits while striking out three and walking three.
Ripley improves with another strong showing as the Tigers continue to build momentum early in the season.
