By By Fredie Carmicheal/Special to The Star
March 24, 2001
Clarkdale's Chris Moffett put on a clinic Friday night at Enterprise as he carried his Bulldog team-mates to an easy 9-1 victory over Enterprise. Moffett tossed a two hitter on the mound-including 14 strike outs- and helped his own cause at the plate by going 3 for 4 with three singles and 2 RBI.
Moffett got the visiting Bulldogs on the board first with a first inning single that brought Matt Minchew in to make it 1-0.
He then struck out four of the first six batters he faced and sat the other two down by getting them to ground out.
In the third inning Clarkdale broke out the bats and put some distance between themselves and Enterprise. The Bulldogs' first two runs came by virtue of an error as Enterprise pitcher Jonathan Kelly mishandled a Matt Minchew bunt and overthrew the ball to first base scoring Clarkdale's Brandon Mabry and Jake Gray.
Moffett then stepped to the plate and once again singled to score Minchew give Clarkdale a 4-0 lead.
After getting another quick run, Mark Taylor knocked in Jeffrey Stokes and Lance Miles when he put the ball in the gap between the second and first baseman making it 7-0 Clarkdale.
Mabry's single to right brought Taylor in and Clarkdale was up 9-0 after three innings were complete. "We did a good job of getting timely hits and in the right spots to get those eight runs in the third." Gatlin Said.
Enterprise threatened in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded and one out. Moffett, who looked rattled for the first time of the game, got the Dogs from Clarkdale out of the jam though as he struck out the side to end the inning unmolested.
Moffett carried a no-hitter into the fifth before Enterprise's Brian McNeil ended it with a single into left field.
The homestanding Bulldogs got their lone run of the night on their second and final hit of the game as Kelly Jimmerson busted a double that plated Dustin Murry in the bottom of the sixth.
Gatlin's Bulldogs improved to 13-3 on the year while Moffett upped his record on the mound to 5-1.