- November 4, 2024
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In his return to the mound, Nik Bitner pitched a four-hit shutout to lead the Flagler Palm Coast Bulldogs past rivals, Matanzas, 11-0 Friday, March 13, at FPC.
After his first start in the second game of the season, Bitner was sidelined for two weeks with a pinched nerve in his shoulder, but there was little evidence that he had ever been injured this season, other than four walks. In just four innings pitched, Bitner gave up four hits and struck out eight batters.
“I’m on my way back to getting to my full potential,” he said. “I don’t believe I was there today, but I’m excited to see what there is to come, when I get to 100%.”
Along with his pitching, Bitner also recorded two doubles that sent runners home on each hit. Josh Alvarado went 2-3, scoring twice and batting a run in, and Nick Zipf got two hits, scoring on each and batting a run in. After a four- and six-run innings in the second and third, the Bulldogs forced the mercy rule after the top of the fifth.
“It’s always fun when you beat your rival, and when you’re able to put up big numbers, it makes it even more fun for your guys,” coach Jordan Butler said. “This game is always a big one on our calendar, so it was pretty special.”
Now, with the return of Bitner, FPC has two aces that are able to put together a solid game from the mound. Just last week, Sam Colasanti threw a no-hitter against Mandarin.
“I’ve said, since the beginning of the year, that we have one of most talented teams in the state, but you have to be able to put it together,” Butler added. “We’ve done a pretty good job of coming together and getting rid of some selfishness. Moving ahead, I’m pretty confident that, if we continue to keep doing what we’ve been doing, we’re going to see a lot of success.”
