Republic couldn’t buy a hit Tuesday night at Rogersville, and it wasn’t just the pitching. Wildcats shortstop Jack Sutherland robbed Republic of two base hits on grounders up the middle and snuffed out every threat the Tigers tried to mount. The end result was a no-hit, 10-0 win for Rogersville that ended in five innings.
Nate Eakins worked 3 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking two before Jackson Purse came on and punched out three more in a perfect inning of relief. Between them, the pair struck out eight of the 15 Republic batters they faced.
The Tigers managed just three baserunners all night and never advanced either one into scoring position. In the top of the first, Sutherland dove to the right of second base to stop a grounder, jumped up and threw out Cooper Thomas to take away a hit.
In the fourth, Brennan Overstreet was hit by a pitch leading off and Preston McCracken hit a sharp grounder up the middle, but Sutherland got to it, stepped on second, and threw to first to complete the double play.
Rogersville jumped on Republic starter Kyler Tate for two runs in the first, then broke it open with a five-run fourth. Claydon Phillips paced the Wildcats at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Rohman Menke drove in three on a 2-for-3 night, and Eakins helped his own cause with two hits and an RBI.
Tate lasted two innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits. Cooper Thomas took over in the third and went 2 2/3 innings but was tagged for six runs on five more hits.
Republic falls to 1-3 on the season and has now dropped three straight after its opening-day win.
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