Brinker, Thunderbird bats bust up Hornets

North Callaway junior catcher Jake Kee tags out Fulton sophomore shortstop Dalton Horstmeier at home plate in the top of the fifth inning in the Thunderbirds' 10-0 win over the Hornets on Friday night in Auxvasse.
North Callaway junior catcher Jake Kee tags out Fulton sophomore shortstop Dalton Horstmeier at home plate in the top of the fifth inning in the Thunderbirds' 10-0 win over the Hornets on Friday night in Auxvasse.

North Callaway pitcher Collin Brinker only needed to throw 10 second-inning pitches before receiving a visit from Thunderbirds head coach Kevin O'Neal.

Already up 5-0 on the Fulton Hornets, the senior right-hander relinquished a leadoff single and then walked back-to-back batters to load the bases.

Brinker looked physically and mentally tight in O'Neal's opinion.

"I was rushing through my delivery, so he came out and told me to calm down and just start throwing strikes," Brinker said.

Brinker was by no means dominant, but he flustered Fulton enough in North Callaway's 10-0, five-inning victory over Fulton on Friday night.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.