HobbsDailyReport.com
CATAWBA – Pitcher Caden O’Brien’s still cooking for Maiden High’s baseball team.
O’Brien, who had 18 strikeouts in back-to-back games this season, struck out 10 on Tuesday night as the visiting Blue Devils defeated Bandys 4-0 in a Southern District 7 Athletic 2A game.
Dylan Landis relieved O’Brien and earned a save as Maiden posted its fourth win by shutout – all four coming in SD-7 2A games – on a night when the conference race tightened.
East Lincoln, 9-1 in conference games heading into Tuesday’s schedule, is leading the league with West Caldwell (7-4) in second place, one game up on Bunker Hill (6-5) and Maiden (6-5).
Bandys dropped to 3-12-1 overall and 3-8 in the conference.
Maiden is at home on Thursday at 7 p.m., playing West Lincoln, and Bandys will be at home the same night at 7 p.m. to battle Bunker Hill.
The Blue Devils will play next week in the Mingo Bay Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
They will face Walkertown (N.Y.) on Tuesday at noon at St. James (S.C.) High and play Bishop Grimes (N.Y.) next Wednesday at 10 a.m. Socastee (S.C.) High.
Maiden’s third game will be next Thursday at 11 a.m. against Immaculate Heart (N.Y.) at Waccamaw (S.C.) High, and a fourth game on April 21 will be against an opponent to be determined.