Smith’s Dominant Pitching Leads York Past Cumberland County

Story and Photos by Rusty Ellis

The York Institute Dragons fell behind early, but rallied and took control to win 12-2 over Cumberland County on Thursday night.

The Jets opened the first with an unearned run after a passed ball, giving them a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the frame. York didn’t take long to answer however, as Blaine York’s RBI single gave the Dragons a 2-1 lead.

This is where Nic Smith took over for the Dragons on the mound, as he struck out the side in the top of the second to begin a dominant pitching performance. York tacked on two more runs to extend the lead to 4-1, and after the Jets scored their second run after a couple errors, the Dragons broke the game open with a five-run third inning.

Smith highlighted the inning with a three-run triple to help his own cause, and then he scored the final run of the frame to push the lead to 9-2. York completed the run rule with a three-run fourth, as Smith set down the side in order in the fifth to complete the 12-2 win.

“I’ve been telling them all year to string hits together and make routine plays,” said York head coach Adam Bowden. “That team has won a lot of big games this year…we came back and took the lead and kept rolling from there. I’m really proud of the guys, we showed what we’re capable of tonight.”

Smith rolled after a lengthy first inning, something his coach has seen time and time again from the Missouri signee.

“He doesn’t look like someone who’s pitching in high school with the way he handles himself,” Bowden said. “He settled in and started throwing strikes. Then, he tore the cover off the ball with his triple. He keeps his composure and he’s a great example for these young guys.”

As far as what he wants his team to take from this game, Bowden says he wants his guys to keep that same approach at the plate that they had against the Jets, as well as continuing to make routine plays.

“We’re going to keep our eyes straight ahead, and our goal is to win the district championship,” Bowden said. “I feel like if we play and hit like this, the sky’s the limit. We can’t give good teams extra outs…we just really want to control what we can and make the routine plays.”

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