Breathitt County's Alex Hamilton is known as a strikeout pitcher, but he had a special "K" performance on Monday. The 6-foot-1 senior left-hander rang up 25 strikeouts in nine innings — 21 in the first seven! — in the Bobcats' 5-4, 10-inning victory over Jackson City.

 

 

"I felt more overpowering than usual," Hamilton said. "I had a whole lot more movement on my ball. I was bringing it in and out on 'em, and my location was very good."

 

 

Hamilton had two four-strikeout innings when the Breathitt County catcher let third strikes get by him.

 

 

High school rules limit pitchers to nine innings in one day, so Hamilton, who had a no-hitter through 81⁄3 innings, didn't get the win. But he did set a state record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game.

 

 

Last season Hamilton had 114 K's in 561⁄3 innings, setting a state record by averaging 14 strikeouts a game. He's ahead of that pace this spring with 97 K's in 38 innings.

 

 

Hamilton's fastball is in the mid- to high 80s. He also throws a knuckle curve, a slider and circle change. He credits his dad, Dr. Derrick Hamilton, with teaching him the fundamentals of pitching. Dr. Hamilton and Gwynn Cox are Breathitt County's interim coaches.

 

 

Hamilton, who scored 1,000 points in basketball for the Bobcats, has signed to play baseball at Eastern Kentucky. Colonels Coach Jason Stein took notice of Monday's game. "Certainly 25 strikeouts is amazing," Stein said in an email. "Very hard to do, but obviously you have to be in the zone in order to have that many K's. Alex's stuff can be strikeout stuff, and we are very excited to have him next year."

 

 

 

 

 

 

High school notebook: Two pitchers named Hamilton piling up the strikeouts | Mike Fields' Notebook | Kentucky.com

First, congratulations! Very impressive numbers.

 

But I have to ask ... what was the score when he left the game? Was it a 0-0 game and all the runs scored in extra innings? If not, how did the runs score with all those strikeouts?

First, congratulations! Very impressive numbers.

 

But I have to ask ... what was the score when he left the game? Was it a 0-0 game and all the runs scored in extra innings? If not, how did the runs score with all those strikeouts?

 

 

 

I'd say Jackson City scored after he was taken out...He threw a no hitter against Estill County couple weeks ago and still lost the game