Hayden takes 2 games from Spartans
Emporia High baseball falls to 2-10 on the season
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Walks and errors doomed the Emporia High baseball team Tuesday against Hayden, as the Wildcats swept a doubleheader from the Spartans 13-0 and 11-1.
In the middle of a six-game week, the Spartans were left searching for capable arms after playing a doubleheader against Topeka High on Monday, and at no time was this more evident than in the first inning of Game One.
EHS gave up 11 runs in the opening frame, allowing five walks. Not helping the Spartans’ cause were two errors in the inning, and Hayden took full advantage.
“Pitching-wise, we need to get a lot better,” EHS coach Mike Strickland said. “We walked too many batters, and when you combine that many walks with a couple of errors in the same inning, it’s very hard to beat teams.”
Hayden scored a pair of runs in the second inning to go up 13-0, and after the Wildcats held the Spartans to just a single hit — Jacob Loucks had a single — the game ended by run-rule in the fifth inning.
Michael Knight took the loss on the mound in Game One.
In Game Two, Emporia managed five hits but did not plate a run until the fifth inning, and by that time, Hayden had built a 10-0 lead thanks to five runs in the first, two in the second and three more in the third.
EHS got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth when Corey Bacon led off with a single, Brian Keisler singled to move Bacon to third and Matt Fry hit a sacrifice fly to get Bacon home.
But Hayden would score one run in the bottom of the frame to again end the game in five innings.
Knight, Dominic Rodriguez and Brett Lechien each also recorded hits in the game.
EHS (2-10) is back in action on Friday with a road doubleheader at Junction City.
Hayden 13, Emporia 0
Game One
Emporia 000 00 — 0 1 2
Hayden (11)20 00 — 13 12 0
W — McGreevey. L — Knight. 2B — Hayden: Sittenauer, Wood.
Hayden 11, Emporia 1
Game Two
Emporia 000 01 — 1 5 3
Hayden 523 01 — 11 9 0
W — Welton. L — Nielsen. 2B — Hayden: Schumacker 2, Rabe. Emporia: Knight. HR — Hayden: McGreevey.