Bobcats Get Win With Help From Turtle

As the Bobcat players arrived at the field to start preparing it for the day’s game, a new friend was sitting in the dugout patiently waiting. The Cats entered the area and with teenage mutant ninja excitement found a turtle.  Without hesitation, this little fellow was given the name of Norman.  Norman the turtle had to be unaware of the role he would play as the newest member of Coach Thurman’s Bobcats.

With Norman the Turtle ready to get things started, the Bruins of Northwest Whitfield arrived at Bobcat Field looking to take the three game sweep from the Cats.  Austin Daman took to the mound and shut down the Bruins plan.  Daman would go 4 innings throwing 42 pitches with over half being strikes(26). Daman gave up one hit and one walk and four strikeouts before leaving the game with complaints of right arm soreness.(No updates were available at time of article).  Will Barnes came in as relief for Daman hoping to continue the work Daman had started.

Barnes threw 65 pitches(31 strikes) in his three inning appearance with 3 strikeouts and 6 walks.  In the top of the seventh, the Bruins put fear in the Bobcats as they loaded the bases with 2 outs looking to break the zero on the board and steal a last inning victory.  Barnes stepping off the mound, took a peak to the dugout for a little extra encouragement in the high stress situation.  Barnes came set, looked in for the sign from Bowyer and went to work.  Striking out the last hope for the Bruins on four pitches to conserve the one hit shut out win for the Bobcats.

This is where Norman the Turtle comes in…. After the game, Barnes was asked how it felt to muster the extra drive he needed to get that final out and keep the Bruins off the scoreboard.  Barnes held Norman the Turtle up to his face, he thanked him and gave the little fellow a kiss.  Not sure how it worked but it worked for the Bobcats.  Coach Thurman and his team celebrated the victory with a little turtle shell jig(See image below) in the team meeting after the game and all the Bobcats say that Norman isn’t going anywhere.

Providing the offense for the Cats were Hunter Bowyer and McKinley Chadwick.  Theses guys were 2-3 with 2 doubles each and Chadwick credited with an RBI.

The Cats will travel to Southeast Whitfield on Tuesday to start a three game region series against the Raiders starting at 5:55 pm.  This reporter is anxious to see if Norman the Turtle makes the trip as well.