Chase County baseball opens season with split
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Saturday, April 5, 2008
The Chase County baseball team opened its season with a split against Moundridge on Tuesday, taking a 3-2 victory in Game One before falling, 7-5, in the nightcap.
The Bulldogs had to rally to take their win in the first game.
Trailing 2-1 in the sixth, the Bulldogs scored two runs when Nate Phipps walked, Shawn Talkington reached on a bunt single and Cole Starkey drove them both in with a two-run double.
Talkington also provided a solid effort on the mound, allowing just two hits and two runs — one earned — in six innings. He struck out 11 while walking three.
Brian Palermo picked up the save by holding Moundridge off in the seventh. He worked around a leadoff double by getting a strikeout and two flyouts to end the game.
Starkey finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Chayne Onek also added two hits.
Chase County won despite striking out 14 times.
The Bulldogs stormed back once but couldn’t do it twice in their Game Two loss.
After falling behind 2-0, Palermo slammed a two-run homer to center in the third to knot the score at 2.
Moundridge pushed the lead to 7-3 before one last Bulldog rally in the seventh.
Palermo and Greg Davis both contributed run-scoring doubles, but it wouldn’t be enough, as a new Moundridge pitcher retired three consecutive CCHS hitters.
The Bulldogs were led by Palermo, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Kyle Hannigan, Onek and Davis added two hits apiece.