SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. – The Shelbyville Central Golden Eagles improved to 4-0 on the season with an 11-7 win over the Brighton Cardinals (2-4) at home on Monday night in the first game of the Rebel Classic.

Brighton took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second against Golden Eagles’ starter, William Bobo, who for the game managed to battle through 3.2 innings. Bobo gave up four earned runs on eight hits and a pair of walks while striking out seven batters on 76 pitches. 

Shelbyville Central responded with a run of their own in the home half after sophomore catcher Caden Peacock lined a one-out RBI triple over the right fielder’s head to drive home Brody Lovvorn to cut the Cardinals lead to 2-1. 

In the third, Bobo stranded a pair of Cardinals on the basepaths, allowing his offense to take the lead in the home half of the inning. Palmer Edwards put a two-out pitch in play against Brighton’s lefty starter, Brendan Killinger, that led to an E3, scoring a pair of Golden Eagles and giving SCHS a 3-2 lead.

Brighton drew back level to start the fourth inning with a two-out RBI single before tacking on one more run to take a 4-3 lead, chasing Bobo from the game and bringing in lefty Ashton Worley out of the bullpen. Worley pitched 2.1 innings, giving up just one run on three hits and no walks while striking out a pair of batters on 33 pitches. 

The Golden Eagles would immediately respond yet again in the home half when Caden Duggan lined a 2-RBI single into right field to put Shelbyville right back on top, 5-4. After Whorley posted a zero on the mound, Shelbyville’s bats began to heat up. In all, the Golden Eagles scored six runs in the fifth inning, and had a chance to end the game in the inning if not for leaving the bases loaded while ahead, 11-4. Instead, Brighton was able to eventually escape the jam, but the damage was done. 

The Cardinals tacked on one run in the sixth and two more in the seventh when Michael Estrada came in for Shelbyville to get the final three outs, but it was not enough as the Golden Eagles monstrous fifth inning provided plenty of insurance in a four-run victory, 11-7.

Caden Duggan finished the night going 2-3 at the plate with three RBI and a walk. William Bobo drew a pair of walks at the top of the lineup, and Stephen Bobo hit 2-3 with a double, one RBI, and a walk. Palmer Edwards went 2-3 with three RBI and a walk while Caden Peacock also went 2-3 with a triple and one RBI. 

Shelbyville improves to 4-0 and will play again on Tuesday at home in a rematch against Murfreesboro Central Magnet with first pitch scheduled for roughly 6:30 p.m. Stephen Bobo expects to get the start on the mound for the Golden Eagles.