Manchester right hander Kaulen Cox was on target last Monday night as he fired a six inning no-hitter as the “A” league Greyhounds topped West Union 3 by a final score of 15-0. Cox allowed just two base runners and struck out 13 West Union hitters.

With West Union pitcher Jared Fenton racing to cover the plate, Manchester’s Mason Applegate slides home to score a run in the fifth inning of the June 8 “A” baseball game played at Manchester High School, won by the Greyhounds 15-0.

A no-hitter on the mound and some daring base running were the highlights on June 8 in Manchester as the “A” League Greyhounds faced off with West Union 3. Manchester right hander Kaulen Cox was on target all night, firing a no-hitter, allowing just two base runners and striking out 13. The Greyhounds took advantage of 11 walks issued by West Union pitchers, as nine of those who received free passes scored as the Hounds moved to 3-0 with a 15-0 six inning run rule win, in a game played with off and on rain and threatening conditions throughout.

The Manchester offense only produced five hits off of West Union hurlers Cody Thornberry and Jared Fenton, but took advantage of the base on balls and some inexperience behind the plate for West Union, as nine of the 15 runs for the Hounds came when runners at third base raced home on wild pitches or passed balls.

Thornberry was one of the two West Union base runners in the game, reaching an error with two outs in the top of the first, but he was thrown out stealing by catcher Nick Hoskins to end the inning and Cox would retire the next 10 batters in succession.

The Hounds got their first two runs in the bottom of the first. Rickey DeAtley and Jordan Carpenter drew walks from Thornberry and both crossed the plate in identical fashion, coming in from third after wild pitches.

The home team struck again in their half of the second when Cox and his brother Kaige reached on a walk and an error respectively, and then both crossed the dish on wild pitches that made their way to the backstop. The lead increased to 5-0 for Manchester in the bottom of the third when Jase Thatcher lined a single to left and came around to score after two wild pitches and a passed ball.

As Cox continued to cruise through the West Union lineup, the Hounds increased their lead to double digits in the bottom of the fourth scoring five times. Mason Applegate walked, Kaige Cox was hit by a pitch, and Brendon Kessler walked to load the bases against the reliever Fenton. A walk to DeAtley forced Applegate home to make it 6-0.

Back to back hits by Carpenter and Thatcher brought home two more and when Deatley scored on an error and Carpenter and Thatcher made it home again on passed balls, the Hounds led 10-0.

West Union got their second and final base runner of the game in the top of the fifth when third baseman Courtney Thornberry drew a one-out walk but Cox fanned Nathan Buck and Hunter Hall to end the inning.

The Greyhounds struck again in their portion of the fifth, scoring four times, with Applegate, Kaige Cox, Kessler, and DeAtley all coming in on wild pitches or passed balls, though Fenton worked out of further trouble by striking out the side.

In the top of the sixth, Cox struck out the side and his offense came to bat needing just one run to enforce the “A” league run rule and secure his no-hit performance. Fittingly, the Manchester pitcher would score the clinching run as he led off the bottom of the sixth with a base hit, moved up on an Applegate infield hit, then scored when a pick off throw to third base went errant. The 15th run of the night was the final one as the Hounds improved to 3-0 on the summer season.

In their 15 runs, the Hounds were paced by Rickey DeAtley and Kaige Cox who each crossed the plate three times, while Jordan Carpenter, Jase Thatcher, Kaulen Cox, and Brendon Kessler all scored two times. Thatcher also paced the winners with a pair of base hits.

In his no-hit gem, Cox struck out 13 of the 18 outs he recorded, and did not allow a ball to be hit out of the infield.

The “A” league Greyhounds will be back in action on Saturday, June 13 when they will travel to North Adams for their first match up of the season with a talented Green Devils squad. The two teams are then scheduled to meet again on Monday, June 15 in Manchester.

WEST UNION 000 000 —0

MANCHESTER 221 541 —15

W. Union Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): Carson 3-0-0-0, Young 2-0-0-0, Cody Thornberry 2-0-0-0, Fenton 2-0-0-0, Courtney Thornberry 1-0-0-0, Buck 2-0-0-0, Hall 2-0-0-0, Cooper 1-0-0-0, Thompson 1-0-0-0, Colon 2-0-0-0, Team 18-0-0-0.

Manchester Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): DeAtley 1-3-0-0, Carpenter 3-2-1-1, Thatcher 4-2-2-1, Hoskins 3-0-0-0, James 4-0-0-0, Kaulen Cox 2-2-1-0, Applegate 3-1-1-0, Kaige Cox 1-3-0-0, Kessler 0-2-0-0, Team 21-15-5-2.

W. Union Pitching: Cody Thornberry (L) 3 IP, 1 H, 6 R, 6 BB, 3 K

Fenton 2 IP, 4 H, 9 R, 5 BB, 6 K

Manchester Pitching: Kaulen Cox (W) 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 13 K