![Jefferson pitcher Bailey Hollingsworth looks in for a sign during Tuesday's game at Kennedy. Hollingsworth did not strike out a batter, but kept the Cougars off-balance all night and the J-Hawks posted a 6-4 win. (Photo by Ken Gilchrist)](/images/resized/images/photos/jefferson/baseball/7_200_254.jpg)
Hollingsworth hurls J-Hawks past Cougs
Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer cut straight to the point when asked the difference between the Cougars' 15-5 win Monday at Jefferson and their 6-4 loss to the J-Hawks Tuesday night at Kennedy.
"The pitching," Hoyer said. "(Bailey) Hollinsgworth is a good pitcher who threw well. Alex (Larson) is a good pitcher who didn't throw well. It's pretty simple."
Jefferson's Hollingsworth scattered six hits, allowed two home runs and did not strike out a batter Tuesday night against the Cougars. Yet he was dominant, mixing in fastballs and curves that kept the Kennedy hitters off-balance, resulting in 13 flyball outs, seven groundball outs and one line drive out.
"I was pitching to contact," said Hollingsworth (3-3), who came into the game with a 6.15 ERA yet has been the J-Hawks' most consistent pitcher over the past two weeks. "I wasn't too worried about striking anybody out and I let my defense do all the work. I got a lot of help from my fielders."
The J-Hawks (10-21, 8-16) were the beneficiaries of some friendly ground ball hops and made several exceptional plays. Right fielder Jake Schmidt hauled in a foul fly down the line for the second out in the bottom of the seventh, then raced into the right-center field gap and stretched out his 6-foot-4 frame to rob Griffin Michael of a possible game-tying double for the game's final out.
"At first I thought, 'Oh, no,' " Hollingsworth said of Michael's drive. "Then I saw Jake reach up with his really long arms and haul it in and it felt great."
While Hollingsworth and J-Hawk backers held their breath, Schmidt said he had a bead on the ball when it left the bat.
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