Landrum baseball fans know all about corn. It’s not the crop they know about, however – it’s the pitchers.
Like his brothers Justin and Jared before him, Joseph Corn took the mound on Tuesday night in the Cardinals’ first game of the season and pitched a gem.
The senior threw a complete game in Landrum’s 4-1 victory over Woodruff and struck out nine in the process.
“That was huge,” head coach Ray McCallister said. “That’s what seniors are supposed to do.”
Corn pitched out of two jams to solidify the Cardinals’ victory. In the fifth inning, the Wolverines took their best shot at Corn. With two outs, Woodruff outfielder Chris Rutter singled. Pitcher Ryan Perkins followed with a single. Corn then walked Rhett Nelson. With the Wolverines knocking on the door, Corn pulled out his best stuff and fanned Bryan Arnold on three straight pitches to end the inning.
“I was pretty pumped (after that),” Corn said.
Energized, he pitched through a 1-2-3 sixth inning. The Wolverines, however, weren’t finished yet.
Pinch hitter Jacob Condra was patient at the plate and drew a walk to start the seventh inning for Woodruff. Corn struck out Jake Smith, but Rutter followed with a double. Perkins then drove the ball to deep center. Condra scored on the drive, but Landrum centerfielder Landon Rhoden fired the ball to home plate in time for Landrum catcher Thomas Rabatie to tag out Rutter at home plate. Corn ended the game getting Nelson to line out to Hunter Pruitt at second base.
“(Corn) did a great job and had great defense behind him tonight,” Woodruff coach Will Lanford said. “That was the difference tonight.”
In the preseason, McCallister wasn’t sure what kind of an offense the Cardinals would have when they finally took the field. That question mark remained after Tuesday night, but he liked what he saw.
“We’re still trying to find an identity offensively,” he said. “We have some big hitters.”
Landrum scored its first three runs in the first inning.  Shortstop Jon Humphries hit a triple to get things started with one out.  Corn drove him in on a groundout to second base. Rabatie followed with a single. Gus Wofford struck out, but reached first on a pass ball. Pruitt followed with a two-RBI double. Landrum’s final run came in the sixth inning. Wofford doubled to bring home Rabatie.
The Wolverines swept the Cardinals in four games last season so McCallister was especially happy with this win.
“It’s always great to start off the season with a win,” he said.