COLUMBIA, Tenn. – The Shelbyville Central Golden Eagles (19-5, 4-3), used a two-run first inning to win game one of its District 9-AAAA series against the Columbia Central Lions (11-9, 4-3), 2-1, on Monday night in Columbia. 

Stephen Bobo and Lane Sharp put on a show for everyone in attendance, combining for 21 of the 23 total strikeouts in the game. Bobo, who collected the win, settled down after the first inning, giving up just the one unearned run on five hits and two walks while striking out 11 batters on 108 pitches. Palmer Edwards came on to collect the save and record the final three outs in the bottom of the seventh, and he did just that, recording two of the three outs via strikeout on 14 pitches total.

Sharp threw a complete 7.0 innings, giving up the two earned runs in the first inning before settling in and not allowing another run for the rest of the night. Sharp gave up six hits in total with no walks and 10 strikeouts on 105 pitches. 

To start the game, William Bobo sent a jolt of lightning through the ballpark, launching a leadoff home run over the fence and into the night for his only hit of the game. Stephen Bobo, batting third, slapped a one-out single before stealing second to get into scoring position for Brody Lovvorn. Lovvorn, the Golden Eagles’ cleanup hitter, lined a single into the outfield to drive home Bobo for his 17th RBI of the season. This sequence doubled Shelbyville’s lead, but it also accounted for half of the total hits the Golden Eagles would record on the night.

In the home half of the inning, Columbia’s leadoff hitter, Aiden Saum, recorded his only base hit of the night, eventually coming around to score after cleanup hitter, Jack Beck, drove Saum home on a single to cut the Golden Eagles’ lead in half, 2-1. 

However, that would be the final run either team plated for the rest of the night. Tense moments on the mound dominated the final six innings, especially on the Shelbyville side as they stranded a total of eight Lions’ baserunners in the game, working around the trio of errors committed in the field. Despite this, Bobo found a way to put up a zero every single time after the first inning, and picked up the massively important win to draw even in the district standings with Columbia.

At the plate, Stephen Bobo increased his season batting average to .576 after a 2-3 performance on Monday. Caden Peacock went 1-3 with a double while Blake Bone went 1-1 as a pinch hitter. 

Game two is set for Tuesday night in Shelbyville with first-pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m. William Bobo is expected to start on the mound for the Golden Eagles.