FOREST 2, TALLAHASSEE LINCOLN 0. At Tallahassee, Forest starter Bobby Kennedy was dealing. So was his counterpart, Tallahassee Lincoln right-hander Joe Bauserman. But only Forest managed to play its cards right, and the payoff was a 2-0 road victory over the Trojans Tuesday night in a Region 4A-1 quarterfinal action.
Kennedy completed the four-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and three walks. The win improved his record to 6-4.
"That's the way he's supposed to pitch," Forest coach Wayne Yancey said. "He did a great job of keeping them off stride tonight. We didn't do a whole lot at the plate tonight, but fortunately we scored two."
In fact, the Wildcats managed just a pair of hits against Bauserman, a quarterback who has signed a football scholarship with Ohio State. Timely hitting, a pair of sacrifice bunts and a brief wild streak by Bauserman was the difference.
Forest struck for the game's first run in the third. After Jed Yancey doubled off the left field wall, Tyler Morgan's sacrifice bunt moved him to third. Two batters later, Daniel Adkins drove Yancey home with an RBI single to left.
The Wildcats scored a run without the benefit of a hit in the fifth. Yancey was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before a Bauserman throwing error and a walk loaded the bases. Nate Samson drove home the game's second run with a sacrifice fly to center.
Bauserman (5-3), who pitched six innings and struck out eight, fanned Adkins and coaxed Steve Hannen into a pop out to get out of the jam.
"He was tough," Kennedy said of Bauserman. "To beat a kid like that É I'm very pleased. We got a little bit of luck and a couple runs and we were able to take it."