Snowball Effect
Manhattan Manko effectively shuts down Emporia A-15s in doubleheader sweep
By Jesse Newell
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The run-rule didn’t end the Emporia A-15s’ second game with Manhattan Manko on Tuesday.
Emporia coach Dick Evans did.
“It was pretty obvious why I stopped it — I didn’t want to embarrass our guys any more,” Evans said after his team’s 13-0 loss in three innings. “I think they’re pretty well cooked.”
Though the 10-runs-after-four-innings plateau had not been reached, Evans still decided his team had had enough after it went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the third.
The 15s also lost the first game of the doubleheader, 10-2.
“The first game we competed pretty well. I don’t know what the problem was in the second one,” Evans said. “One snowball just led to an even bigger snowball.”
That was especially the case in the top of the third, as Manko — a 16-year-old team that looks destined to make a deep run in the A State Tournament — scored seven runs.
It wasn’t without some help from the A-15s.
Manhattan pounded four hits in the frame but also had the benefit of three Emporia errors and two walks. Manko sent 12 batters to the plate in the half-inning alone.
“Our guys were out there a long time,” Evans said. “It wasn’t pretty.”
Though the A-15s didn’t manage a hit against Manhattan starter Collin Giambrone, they did walk five times.
Emporia played a cleaner Game One, grabbing the early advantage in the first.
Brett Lechien led off with a walk, and Brian Keisler moved him to second with a bunt. After a strikeout, Ethan Hall lined an RBI single to center.
Manko notched two in the third and two in the fourth to take the lead.
Hall limited Manhattan’s offense but couldn’t keep his pitches off Manko batters.
The Emporia starter hit five batters in his 3 2/3 innings, including three in a row in the fourth to force in a run.
“They might have been crowding the plate just a little bit,” Hall said, “but it was just an off night.”
Against Hall, Manhattan had as many hit batters as hits (5).
Manko put it away with a five-run sixth, using four hits and two walks to score its runs.
Remington Pinnick contributed a two-out RBI single in the bottom half of the inning, but the 15s couldn’t push across another run and the game ended via the run-rule.
Hall, Keisler and Pinnick finished with the three Emporia hits.
The A-15s play at Ottawa on Thursday.
Tuesday at Emporia
Game One
Manhattan Manko 10, Emporia 2
Manhattan 002 215 X — 10 10 1
Emporia 100 001 X — 2 3 4
W — Keegan Rawhouser. L — Ethan Hall.
2B — Manhattan: Bryce Westphal, Luis Gonzalez. SB — Manhattan: Bryce Williams, Bryce Westphal.
Emporia A-15s — Ethan Hall 1-3, RBI; Remington Pinnick 1-3, RBI; Brian Keisler 1-1, sac, HBP.
Game Two
Manhattan Manko 13, Emporia 0
Manhattan 157 XXX X — 13 9 0
Emporia A-15s 000 XXX X — 0 0 6
W — Collin Giambrone. L — Jacob Loucks.
SB — Manhattan: Matt Gee, Dustin Miner.
Emporia highlights — Nate Flannigan 0-0, BB; Malik Sommers 0-0, BB; Remington Pinnick 0-0 BB.