By BILL GREENE
Record Sports Writer

It use to be a rare occurrence when a pitcher would leave the mound at the completion of a ball game without permitting the opposing batter a single hit.

But, it has become quite common for area pitchers to completely dominate the batters this season and the script remained the same Tuesday afternoon.

Airport’ Earl Bass, Chapin’s Leland Teal, and Lexington’s David Spence all fired no-hitters to lead their teams to league victories.

Bass blanked league leading North Augusta, 1-0, in a region 1-AAAA contest, while Teal took a 16-1 triumph over Blaney and Spence stopped Newberry, 3-0.

In other baseball action Tuesday Dentsville’s hopes for a Region 4-AAAA title suffered a sever jolt when Eau Claire crushed the Cougars 6-1, while Orangeburg, behind the one-hit pitching of John Brown, edge Dreher, 2-0.

Brookland-Cayce, searching for a Region 1-AAAA title, edge past Aiken, 10, while Greenwood outslugged Columbia 15-10. Undefeated St. Andrew’s blanked Dreher, 9-0, in tennis.

Airport baseball Coach Don Ackerman explained it simply to his Eagles Tuesday afternoon just before they faced North Augusta at the Yellow Jackets’ home field.

“I told them this was a must game for us since we already had two losses in the league,” said Ackerman.

Righthand Bass took his coach’s words to heart as he completely stymied the opposing batters with his no-hitter. It was the second no-hitter. It was the second no-hitter of the season for Bass, whose record now stands at 3-1 for the year.

Airport’s win throws Region 1 into a five-team race with North Augusta and Brookland-Cayce holding a one-game lead with 3-1 records. Airport, Aiken, and Greenwood all own 2-2 marks.

Teal, who aided his own cause with two hits, struck out 10 batters en route to his triumph over Blaney in a 3-A Conference game.

Spence retired 11 Newberry batters on strikeouts as Lexington earned the win over the Indians in a Eastern AAA battle.

“Earl looked real good,” said Ackerman. “He had pretty good control and except for the one walk he gave up. I don’t believe he went to a full count on any other batter.

“We’re still not hitting like we should be. We had five hits against North Augusta, but they were all scattered.

“We had some boys last season who were hitting in the 300s and 400s, but this season they don’t have that high average,” Continued Ackerman.

(See BOOZER, 4-B, Col. 6)