By Joshua Price/Sports Editor
Etowah High School dropped its 2012 baseball season opener to Guntersville on Feb. 20, 4-2.
Chris Steele scored in the first inning to give the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead.
Etowah starting pitcher Josh Bobo blanked the Wildcats the first three innings.
Guntersville loaded the bases in the fourth inning with no outs. The Blue Devils managed two outs without giving up any runs.
Etowah’s defensive miscues turned from sure outs to Guntersville runs as the Wildcats managed to cross the bag four times in the fourth inning.
“I thought we were gonna wiggle out of that situation in the fourth,” Etowah head coach Kevin Horton said. “We made some errors in the field and it just wasn’t meant to be.”
Bobo pitched four innings, surrendering one earned run off six hits and two walks. Nick Humphries pitched three innings for the Blue Devils, giving up only one hit.
Steele and John Coggins each batted 2-for-3 for Etowah.
Horton knows his team has a long way to go this season.
“The good thing is we know what we have to work on,” Etowah head coach Kevin Horton said. “One free pass (hit by pitch) was the difference in the game.”
Etowah (0-1) hosts Douglas tonight (Feb. 21) at 6:30.
(Photo: Etowah’s Chris Steele gets a lead from first base. Steele scored the first run of the game moments later. Photo by Joshua Price/Messenger.)