Swinging Start
Thursday, June 7, 2007
By Jesse Newell
newell@emporiagazette.com
Cole Armitage has officially signed to play with Barton County as a pitcher next year.
After Wednesday night’s performance, the Cougars might want to consider giving him a chance at the plate as well.
Armitage showed his worth in the batter’s box for the Emporia AAAs Wednesday, going 5-for-8 with 7 RBI in his team’s 7-4 and 9-2 victories over Osage County.
He also hit for a combined cycle in the twinbill — knocking two singles, a double, triple and home run.
“It’s his last summer of hitting,” Emporia AAA coach Ryan Oden said, “so I just told him to go out there and have fun with it.”
The Emporia shortstop had the most fun in the second innings of both games.
After he singled in a two-run first inning of Game One, Armitage stepped to the plate with two on and two out in the second.
And, just after Oden yelled at him from the third-base coaching box to be aggressive, Armitage blasted Nathan Cooper’s first pitch to deep center.
“He left it hanging,” Armitage said, “and I took advantage of it.”
The ball sailed high into the trees for a three-run shot that gave Emporia a 6-0 lead.
Emporia’s pitchers held it from there. Adam Tebben allowed four runs in his six innings, and Taylor Clark pitched a perfect seventh for the save.
Armitage again had the key hit for Emporia (4-0) in the second inning of Game Two.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Armitage lined a three-run triple to the gap in right-center to bump the AAA advantage to 5-0.
“He’s definitely a team leader,” Oden said. “We’re going to lean on him quite a bit.”
Alex Reyes pitched four scoreless innings for Emporia before Joe Solis closed it out.
Emporia’s victories came even with a handful of miscues. The AAAs committed three errors in Game One and two more in Game Two.
“I told the guys that down the road, five errors in two games might not get us two wins,” Oden said. “Our goal is to play clean baseball, and we didn’t do it. But we definitely hit the ball well.”
That included more offensive production from Solis, who has started the season on a tear.
The first baseman went a combined 4-for-6 Wednesday with a double and two RBI, continuing the hot hitting that started at last week’s season-opening tournament in Pittsburg.
“I’m just waiting for my pitch,” Solis said, “and just trying to put it in play.”
In Game Two, Michael Knight added a 2-for-4 effort with two runs and an RBI, while Taylor Clark went 2-for-3 with a double, run and stolen base.
The AAAs will begin play in the Manhattan Tournament on Friday.
Wednesday at Emporia
Game One
Emporia AAAs 7, Osage County 4
Osage County 001 003 0 — 4 5 1
Emporia AAAs 240 001 X — 7 7 3
W — Adam Tebben. L — Nathan Cooper. Sv — Taylor Clark.
2B — Emporia: Taylor Clark, Joe Solis. HR — Cole Armitage. SB — Osage County: Ben Konda, Evan Faulkner; Emporia: Taylor Clark.
Emporia highlights — Cole Armitage 2-4, 3-run HR, 2 R; Joe Solis 2-3, 2B, RBI; Alex Reyes 1-2, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB; Taylor Clark 1-2, 2B, 2R, 2 BB.
Game Two
Emporia AAAs 9, Osage County 2
Osage County 000 002 0 — 2 5 1
Emporia AAAs 140 121 X — 9 10 2
W — Alex Reyes. L — Ben Konda.
2B — Osage County: Travis Padilla; Emporia: Taylor Clark, Cole Armitage, Jared Krause. 3B — Cole Armitage. SB — Emporia: Taylor Clark, Cameron Smith, Cole Armitage, Joe Solis.
Emporia highlights — Cole Armitage 3-4, 3B, 2B, 4 RBI; Taylor Clark 2-3, 2B, R, SB, BB; Michael Knight 2-4, 2R, RBI; Joe Solis 2-3, R, RBI, SB, BB.