Daugherty blanks Racers for another district victory

After Ian Daugherty was able to pitch himself out of a jam, Kingfisher’s bats finally came alive.

The result was the seventh straight win for the Yellowjacket baseball team Monday as it improved to 5-0 in District 4A-2 with an 8-0 win against Newcastle at Homier Field.

With Kingfisher’s bats mostly quiet, but still leading 2-0, Daugherty allowed two singles to start the top of the sixth inning.

A strikeout on a full count and then a double-play turned by Cole Crosswhite and Tate Taylor got Daugherty out of the inning unscathed.

In the bottom half, Logan Rutledge started a six-run outburst with an RBI double. He later scored on a throwing error for a 4-0 lead.

Cole Crosswhite later delivered an RBI single and then Cade Stephenson broke the game wide open with three-run double.

Daugherty then struck out the side in the seventh inning to earn the complete-game shutout.

The sophomore right-hander struck out 12 Racers and walked only one. He surrendered just four hits.

He also offered up his own run support with an RBI single in the fifth inning. Keaton Abercrombie gave KHS its first run with an RBI double in the first.

Crosswhite and Daugherty had two hits apiece. Crosswhite scored twice.

KHS made the return trip to Newcastle for the second game of the district two-step on Tuesday (after press time).

The Jackets return to district action next Monday when they travel to Tuttle, which is also unbeaten in district games.

KHS is 16-1 overall after the win.