PINE BLUFF – In his first outing of the season, El Dorado’s Justin Dumas racked up 10 strikeouts in four innings against White Hall.
In his second start of the year against Pine Bluff on Tuesday, he was even more dominant, striking out 16 as part of a combined no-hitter with Jonah Davis in the Wildcats’ 5-0 win over the Zebras in 5A South play.
Dumas walked two in six innings of work. Of his 99 pitches, 63 were strikes.
Davis fanned two in the seventh to finish off the combined no-hitter and give the duo 18 strikeouts in the game.
The outing by Dumas gives El Dorado three consecutive games where their starters have finished with 10 or more strikeouts after Holden Lowry struck out 13 at White Hall on Friday.
Although Dumas was dominant, the Wildcats held a slim 1-0 lead after scoring a two-out run in the third on a single by Sam York that scored Lowry, who walked and stole second.
But Dumas got some breathing room in the fifth.
York opened the frame with a walk and Dumas bunted for a base hit with York taking third on an error.
Tyler Spooner entered the game as a courtesy runner for Dumas and stole second.
Hunter Lawrence walked to load the bases, and one out later, York scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
The Wildcats then got another big two-out hit, as Trey Murphy singled home a pair of runs to give El Dorado a 4-0 edge.
Dumas scored on a passed ball in the seventh for El Dorado’s final run.
The Wildcats (3-1, 2-1) host Pine Bluff in 5A South play on Friday.